Nemanja Matic names the three Chelsea players who helped him become a better player

Nemanja Matic won more tackles than any other player in the 2014/15 Premeir League season

In an exclusive interview with Chelsea’s official club magazine, midfield anchorman Nemanja Matic has revealed the names of the three former Chelsea players who helped him settle down during his first spell at Stamford Bridge. Not surprisingly, all of them are midfield greats who had a major role in the London-based club’s rise to Premier League elite status.

The Serbian international named Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Michael Ballack as the three players whom he learned from most during his unsuccessful initial stint with Chelsea. That spell was largely troubled by a long-term injury which restricted the 26-year-old to just two league appearances.

Matic joined The Blues for £1.5 million in 2009, but after failing to get meaningful playing time under his belt, spent the first half of the 2010/11 season on loan at Dutch club Vitesse. In the following January window, Matic was sold to Benfica in a deal that saw David Luiz heading in the other direction.

In the interview featured in the ‘Anatomy of a Pro’ section of the latest edition of Chelsea magazine, Matic told: “When you come to Chelsea, you are at the top level, and if you are playing here, you know the best players in the world are with you.”

“I learned a lot in my first time here – just to train with midfielders like Lampard, Essien and Ballack, you learn a lot,” the Serbian told Chelsea FC magazine.

Matic names Ballack, Essien and Lampard as the three Chelsea players he learned the most from

Matic returned to Chelsea in January 2014 after impressing with consistent performances in his three seasons at Portugal. He was a key figure in the middle of the park as Chelsea regained the Premier League title after a gap of four years. Matic topped the charts for most tackles won and deservedly made his way into the PFA Team of the Year for the 2014/15 season.

Matic explained how building up his physique has helped him succeed in the Premier League, the second time around.

“When I was young, I wasn’t very strong. I knew I had to improve physically and I had to be stronger, so I worked very hard on that. It’s an important part of my game because you have to be strong in midfield, “Chelsea magazine reports.

Matic also talked about the influence his father played in shaping him as a better person and footballer.

“He helped me a lot but he didn’t give me special treatment. Whenever I wanted to take the next step in my career, because he was an ex-footballer he always had some good words for me. (Seeing him play) excited me as a young boy,” the defensive midfielder told the magazine.