As the Blues gear up for our UEFA Conference League clash against Shamrock Rovers tomorrow evening, Tosin Adarabioyo has praised two of Chelsea's young Academy graduates.
A player whose impact goes beyond his defensive capabilities, the 27-year-old has taken on a leadership and mentorship role within the squad, proving instrumental in guiding our younger players and fostering their growth on and off the pitch.
Josh Acheampong is one team-mate Tosin has helped integrate into the first-team squad. It was announced earlier today that the 18-year-old has signed a new contract with the club, and Tosin's confidence in the youngster’s potential is clear.
‘It’s great news, I’m happy to see that,’ Tosin opened. ‘He’s an amazing player and I’m very excited to see he’s here to stay. Josh has absolutely everything to be a top, top defender. He’s quick, he’s strong, he’s amazing on the ball, and he has a lot of confidence which I love to see in a young defender.
‘I try to encourage him to be as vocal as possible because I think it’s a really important aspect as a defender and he’s learning to do so.’
Tosin’s influence was also instrumental in Sam Rak-Sakyi’s smooth transition to the starting XI during Chelsea’s 3-1 win over FC Astana. That was Rak-Sakyi’s full debut for the club, and the 19-year-old publicly thanked Tosin for his guidance during his post-match interview.
‘It’s the same with Sam Rak-Sakyi,' Tosin added. 'He’s a bit quiet, but to see him go there [against FC Astana] and put that performance in, he was very confident in everything he did.’
Looking ahead to tomorrow’s game against Shamrock Rovers, Tosin’s focus shifts to our broader ambitions in the European competition with our place in Conference League’s knockout stages confirmed following our trip to Kazakhstan.
‘The Conference League is definitely a competition that we have set ourselves out to win since we knew we were in it,’ he explained. ‘We have another game to stamp our authority. It’s a competition that I really enjoy playing in, so I might miss it until March, but we take each game as it comes.
‘We feel we can push on and get results all the way onto the final. We want to win.’
Tosin has thrived under head coach Enzo Maresca’s guidance this season, crediting the manager for fostering individual and collective improvement.
He reflected: ‘It’s been an amazing journey since the start of July and pre-season. Not just me, but every single player has progressed massively. We are all improving every single day.
‘Maresca is tough, knows how to manage each player, especially considering how many competitions we are in, and he’s able to give us all minutes and make us feel important within the squad.
‘There's a time when he can have a laugh or a joke with us, but that’s mainly off the pitch with us when we’re in training. He’s a nice guy and he’s been a player before so he knows what it’s like.’