Chelsea defender Michael Hector believes that his spell playing as a midfielder on loan at Reading will help him when he returns to Stamford Bridge.
However, the Royal has admitted that he is yet to train with Chelsea or skipper John Terry, and has admitted that he’s disappointed that the defender may depart imminently, presumably Hector gets the chance to play or train alongside the towering stopper.
The defender was signed by Chelsea on deadline day in September in something of a surprise move. While Chelsea paid £4.5 million for the defender’s services [fee via the Daily Mail], 23-year-old Hector was immediately sent back on loan to his former club Reading.
Intriguingly, the player has been used in a midfield role by the Berkshire-based club in recent fixtures, a move which he believes could help him establish himself at Stamford Bridge.
“I have not been able to train with Chelsea or John Terry yet, it is a shame he might be leaving but you never know what the future holds,” Hector began, as reported by the Mirror.
“I don’t know what he is going to be doing next season or where I will playing either. Right now it is about getting games under my belt and playing,” he continued.
“The higher you go, the better you need to be on the ball as a defender, as well as defend. It helps me playing in midfield and gets me better with the ball.
“When I move back to centre-back hopefully I will be more comfortable on the ball and do well.
SEE MORE:
Tottenham Player Ratings v Crystal Palace: Match Report & Highlights as Spurs’ cup run ends
Arsenal legend admits he sometimes forgets Barcelona icon Lionel Messi is a human; aims dig at Chelsea
£200k-per-week Manchester United transfer target reveals he wants to play for Real Madrid
“I have played in many positions – right-back , centre-back , centre-mid, right wing. That is just going to help me adapt if I play different positions and learn the game.”
Hector has featured 21 times for the Royals in the Championship so far this season, averaging three aerial battles won per match, 2.7 interceptions per match and two successful tackles per game.
Intriguingly, while the defender has impressed in the second tier, another centre-back signed by Chelsea last summer—Papy Djilobodji—failed to establish himself at Stamford Bridge despite the club’s limited options in the heart of the backline and has been loaned out to Werder Bremen for the remainder of the campaign.