Chelsea News: Star player chooses his preferred position, sends message to Maurizio Sarri 

What's the story?

Chelsea starlet Ruben Loftus-Cheek has opened up on his preferred position, claiming that he 'sees' himself as a central midfielder. At the moment, however, he is happy to operate at any given position on the football pitch.

In case you didn't know...

After having endured a poor start to the season due to the lack of opportunities, the 22-year-old racked up impressive performances in the Europa League and the domestic league whenever called upon.

From an out-of-favour at West London, he is now a vital cog for Maurizio Sarri and co.

The heart of the matter

Often, he is seen playing at different positions - be it on either side of the three-man midfield or down the flanks. The England international starred against Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup while playing at right wing, a performance that garnered a lot of praise.

Not only was his technique appreciated, but also the versatile nature that he exhibited. Chelsea assistant boss and legend Gianfranco Zola heaped praise as well, saying:

"I was impressed with him. He's done very well as one of the strikers, wide players, but also he showed a lot of application and sacrifice when he played as a midfielder. He's gone a long way since the beginning of the season and improved in many ways. He's a good boy and works very hard on his game."

Loftus-Cheek though, prefers playing at the centre of the park. Talking to Chelsea TV, he remarked:

"I see myself as a midfielder. That’s where I want to be as I take my career forward. Right now I’m happy to play anywhere, right wing, left wing. I covered a lot of positions (against Bournemouth)."

The Englishman added:

“I’m happy to do it wherever. And I’ll give it my best. I think I’m effective if it’s coming from deep or getting it higher up and making combinations and getting shots off.”

Video

No wonder he's been given more opportunities these days. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is a gifted player.

What's next?

The entire Chelsea family is presently celebrating the amount of game time offered to Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who is going from strength to strength with each passing game. He might be used as a substitute against Leicester City when Chelsea host the Foxes on Saturday.