Chelsea FC: Nathan Ake Hopes To Impress During Preseason
Chelsea FC’s young defender Nathan Ake is hoping to use the preseason as a chance to impress Jose Mourinho and become involved in the first team this season. Ake has played well so far and even notched an unexpected assist in the first match against Wycombe Wanderers that showed the hustle and determination in his game. He has made several appearances in the Chelsea first team but has yet to hold down a regular spot or become a first team regular.
More from Chelsea FC News
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 1 Blue Mauricio Pochettino should drop
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 3 Blues who must start
- Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Bournemouth: Palmer starts in 4-2-3-1
- Chelsea sporting directors finally reveal why they sign so many young players
- These 3 new signings may never get a game at Chelsea
"“In the first game I was pleased with my performance, it went well for me but the whole team played well. I managed to get an assist in the first half as well for Patrick [Bamford], so I was pleased. The second game wasn’t so good for me personally, my crosses weren’t good enough and there were some little points I need to work on to improve, but I’ve taken that on board.It’s important to learn from every game, even when we won 5-0 there are still ways to learn. For example, it’s important to keep a clean sheet so learning how to make sure you do that is crucial, you don’t want to concede silly goals. When you’re 2-0 down you need to do different things, in the second half we played with more players up front and pre-season is a good time to experiment.It’s difficult because they are so strong, both of them are top strikers but testing myself against such good players will only help me improve my own game. In these friendlies all the younger players are looking to perform and impress the manager, if we do that hopefully we will be involved with the squad this season. I’m working hard every day in training, the games are coming and it’s important that I do my best.”-Nathan AkeSource: ChelseaFC.com"
Nathan Ake is a versatile defender who can play either in central defense or in either fullback position. He has been deployed on the flanks in the preseason but has played centrally in the Chelsea U21 teams where he has truly shined. While it may be difficult for Ake to break in to the first team this season, a solid preseason may put Jose Mourinho in a difficult position as to which players he will keep in his 23 man squad.