Former Chelsea goalkeeper Rob Green has revealed how youngster Callum Hudson-Odoi used to destroy Cesar Azpilicueta in training.
The 18-year-old broke into the Chelsea first-team last season and showed himself to be a hugely impressive young talent, despite not always getting much of a look-in under Maurizio Sarri.
Green has explained how he feels Sarri often overlooked Hudson-Odoi’s talent and preferred to stick with the same team most of the time, despite the teenager looking so dangerous against experienced defenders like Azpilicueta in training.
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It now seems clear the England international will get more opportunities under new manager Frank Lampard, who has shown plenty of trust in the likes of Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount this season.
Hudson-Odoi, however, arguably looks the biggest natural talent coming through at Stamford Bridge, and Green has spoken about how much he caught the eye on the training ground last season.
Speaking to BBC 5 Live, as quoted by the Metro, the 39-year-old said: “We had Willian, Pedro and obviously Eden [Hazard] in the same positions but the manager had such a strong belief about playing the players he trusted. He would not play other players.
“It was the same team, the same formation every week, maybe one or two changes and Callum just wouldn’t get a look-in.
“We’d go into training and he’d tear it up day in, day out and the things he would try in training with no pressure… and he’d do it in games. You’d just see him trying stuff because he just wanted to.
“He would try it in training against some of the best players in the world, some of the best defenders.
“Azpilicueta playing up against him in training… couldn’t live with him! He’d chop inside him and Azpi would turn around and go, ‘Oh God, he’s gone past me’, and then he’d just bend one in the far top corner or fire one in at the near post.”