Sunderland’s Pierre Ekwah has told Le Progrès that his spell at Chelsea has helped him in his development.
The Sunderland man arrived in England for the first time when Chelsea signed him for their academy from FC Nantes in 2018.
Ekwah represented Chelsea U18 and U21s but not their first team during his time in west London. He swapped Chelsea for West Ham United in 2021 and didn’t feature for the Hammers’ senior team.
The midfielder left West Ham for Sunderland in January 2023 and started getting minutes with their first team straight away. The Frenchman made 61 appearances for the Black Cats until the end of last season.
Régis Le Bris’ decision to not consider the 22-year-old at the start of this season saw him go out on loan to Saint-Étienne on summer deadline day. The Sunderland owned player is featuring regularly for the Ligue 1 side this season, making 10 league starts so far.
During the course of the interview, Le Progrès asked Ekwah about his decision to leave FC Nantes for the Blues at a young age. When responding to that, the player explained how challenges at Chelsea have helped him.
He said:“My departure from Nantes was a bit complicated. At Chelsea, I found a different requirement and more work. They don’t give you anything. You have to fight every second on the pitch and you dedicate your life to football.”
“Obviously, I gained maturity. I left home at 13, then abroad at 16. I had never set foot there, I didn’t speak the language. I was all alone. I had to make sure it went as well as possible. And I got through it.”