Kai Havertz is hoping for a “special year” with Chelsea

“Crazy Time for Everyone”

National player Kai Havertz is hoping for a successful new season with the Blues after the turbulent months at Chelsea. “Hopefully it will be a very special year for us,” the 23-year-old told the online magazine “The Athletic“. “We are a special group. We notice that away from the seat in the dressing room – and on the pitch.”

The turmoil surrounding Chelsea FC, which was sanctioned by the government and then sold to a US consortium by its ex-Russian owner Roman Abramovich, has brought the team closer together. “It’s been a crazy time for all of us,” Havertz said. “There have been so many changes at the club that were strange for all of us but we got through it. We got to know each other in different and difficult situations and went through it together. That helped us.”

Havertz, who scored the winning goal for the Blues in the Champions League final a year ago, was also pleased with the trust placed in him by Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel. “It’s always good for a striker and for me as well,” said the ex-Leverkusener. “I’m still young. I need this confidence from the coach.” Especially because he has been used very variably in recent years: “I’ve played a lot of positions over the years, but last season I played a lot as No. 9 and it’s a position which I like very much. When I look back four years, I could never have imagined playing there,” said the Aachen native.

Havertz on new role at Chelsea: “I’m here to score goals”

He could still imagine the role: “It’s still good that I’m flexible and can play different positions up front, but I’m there to score goals and provide assists and as a number 9 you have to do that. (…) I always go into the games and tell myself that I want to score a goal or provide an assist. As a striker you have to do that. Of course, this is not possible in every game. There are few players who can really do that and even they have problems sometimes, so I go into every game and try to score a goal and help the team.” However, he still wants to improve his consistency next season, said Havertz: “Consistency is an important thing and I want to try to work on it.”

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