"They underestimated me and it made me angry" - Chelsea star responds to critics after upturn in fortunes

Chelsea midfielder Jorginho has enjoyed a tremendously successful outing this year. The Italian has used that opportunity to hit back at the Blues supporters who criticized him at the start of his stint at Stamford Bridge.

Jorginho recently wrote in The Players' Tribune:

"My start at Chelsea made me miss Napoli even more. We all remember what they were saying, right? I was too slow. I was too weak. I was Sarri’s son. Man, it made me so angry.

Chelsea's Jorginho has talked about his doubters, saying that they underestimated him and his abilities.https://t.co/0GPHtzMojr

— Get Italian Football News (@_GIFN) September 1, 2021

"But listen, they underestimated me," he added. "You see, I’ve had a turbulent start at every club I’ve been with. Every club. It’s incredible. When I came to Verona, nobody wanted me. They sent me on loan to the fourth division. Nobody wanted me there either.

"But I kept working and I won respect. I went back to Verona and we went up to Serie A. I had a hard year at Napoli, too, and then Sarri came and changed everything. So the Chelsea stuff? Puh! I just used the criticism as fuel. I was thinking, These people are going to be embarrassed.

"And now I’m sitting here with a Europa League title and a Champions League title. So to all the critics, I just want to say one thing. Thank you. Really, thank you all," he concluded.

Jorginho wins UEFA POTY for 2020/21 🏆 Champions League 🏆 Super Cup 🏆 EUROS Winner 🏆 UCL Team of the Tournament🏆 EUROS Team of the TournamentJorginho is the FIRST EVER Chelsea player to win the UEFA POTY Award 💙 pic.twitter.com/0n3boukIXx

— Pys (@CFCPys) August 26, 2021

Jorginho joined Chelsea from Napoli in a deal worth £57 million in July 2018. The midfielder was Maurizio Sarri's hot choice in defensive midfield, which angered some of the fans who preferred N'Golo Kante in that role.

So far, the 29-year-old has made 145 appearances for Chelsea across all competitions, recording 17 goals and four assists to his name. He's featured in all of the Blues' Premier League games this season.

Jorginho was named Europe's best player recently

Jorginho's spectacular year with Chelsea and Italy

This is undoubtedly the brightest year of the career of the former Napoli midfielder. Jorginho played an influential role as Chelsea made history by winning the Champions League crown in May.

That was followed by another successful outing with his nation at the European Championship this summer, where Italy defeated England to win the coveted prize. Jorginho returned to club action with another triumph as Chelsea beat Villareal to claim the UEFA Super Cup last month.

The midfielder has been honored with the UEFA Men's Player of the Year award, pipping Chelsea teammate N'Golo Kante and Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne to claim the accolade.