"It’s kept me on my toes" - Trevoh Chalobah reveals message from Rudiger that 'helped' him at Chelsea

Chelsea youngster Trevoh Chalobah has detailed how Antonio Rudiger has helped him develop at the London club.

The 22-year-old Chelsea academy graduate spent loan spells at Ipswich Town, Huddersfield Town and Lorient before making his first senior appearance for the Blues this season.

Chalobah, who has played 21 games in all competitions in the current campaign, is now seen as a proper team squad player. He thanked fellow Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger for his guidance, saying:

"Toni's (Antonio Rudiger) from Sierra Leone, where I'm also from, and when he first came, my brother [Nathaniel, who won the Premier League with Chelsea in 2017] told him to look after me. I used to go around his house and we'd chill, and every time I came over to train, he'd get hold of me and help me."

Chalobah added:

"He was the only one that season who believed in me and told me to keep going. The next year I went on loan and ended up going on loan three times, and after every season he kept telling me, 'Keep going, keep going. I know you're good enough to play for this football club'." He'll always tell me how it is and what I need to do. He'll speak to me like a grown adult, not a little boy. For me, that's what's helped - it's kept me on my toes. You know how aggressive he is on the pitch, and that's how I want to be on the pitch as well."

Chalobah, who signed a new Chelsea contract in November last year, has scored three goals in 21 games this season.

---

Antonio Rudiger might not be at Chelsea next season

Chelsea and Antonio Rudiger are in the middle of a contract stand-off.

The German centre-back is in the final season of his current deal and is reportedly demanding a hefty pay rise in his new contract. But the Blues are unwilling to break their wage structure for the 28-year-old.

However, Rudiger's good form has drawn attention from other clubs, who are keeping tabs on the situation at Stamford Bridge. If the Blues are unable to match his demands, they will lose him on a free transfer next summer.

The likes of Real Madrid, Paris-Saint Germain, Bayern Munich and Barcelona are interested in signing the German defender.