The Tottenham head coach reflected on his close bond with former Shakhtar Donetsk star and backed the Chelsea winger to rediscover his best form.
Tottenham Hotspur head coach Roberto De Zerbi has spoken fondly about Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk who has returned to football after 607 days away, describing his former player as being like a son to him while expressing hope that the Ukrainian international can rediscover his top form in the Premier League.
Speaking in an interview reported by journalist Peter Rutzler and shared by Hotspur Lane on X, the Italian tactician offered an affectionate assessment of Mudryk, whom he previously coached during their time together in Ukraine at Shakhtar Donetsk.
De Zerbi played a pivotal role in Mudryk’s early career development, overseeing the explosive spell of form at Shakhtar that ultimately earned the winger his blockbuster move to English football.
Reflecting on their close relationship, De Zerbi spoke openly about his personal connection with the 25-year-old attacker:
“He’s my son, he’s a cool guy, a top player, hopefully he can show what he suffered the last two seasons in this coming season, maybe not against Tottenham, but he’s a lovely guy.”
The quote highlights the strong emotional ties De Zerbi maintains with players he has mentored, even while managing on opposing sides of a fierce London rivalry.
Backing Mudryk to Overcome Premier League Struggles
Since his high-profile arrival in West London, Mudryk has experienced an inconsistent spell, often finding it difficult to secure a regular starting berth amidst frequent managerial changes and squad turnover at Stamford Bridge.
De Zerbi acknowledged the difficulties Mudryk faced during his opening two seasons in England, pointing out the mental and physical toll of adapting to the Premier League under intense media scrutiny. And on November 2024 he was banned from footbal for having low concentration of meldonium in his system. Despite the cross-town rivalry between Tottenham and Chelsea, De Zerbi made it clear that he retains absolute belief in Mudryk’s fundamental ability to perform at the highest level.
🚨🎙️ #THFC boss Roberto De Zerbi on Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk:
"He’s my son, he’s a cool guy, a top player, hopefully he can show what he suffered the last two seasons in this coming season, maybe not against Tottenham, but he’s a lovely guy." 🤝@peterrutzler pic.twitter.com/JukSNmu9W9
— Hotspur Lane (@HotspurLane) August 1, 2026
While De Zerbi extended his best wishes for Mudryk’s career turnaround, the Tottenham boss added a lighthearted caveat that he hopes those standout performances do not come in fixtures against his own Spurs side.
As De Zerbi continues assembling his own squad at Hotspur Way, his public backing of Mudryk serves as a reminder of the human connections that persist across top-level management, even in the high-stakes environment of English football.