Chelsea fans need to be patient with Callum Hudson-Odoi

Callum Hudson-Odoi has had multiple setbacks in his young Chelsea career, so fans need to remain patient with the highly skilled teenager.

Callum Hudson-Odoi is someone a lot of Chelsea fans are trying to push out the door already. Now, while there is supposed interest from teams like Bayern Munich, there’s a lot of reasons to keep the player over the cash return he’d bring to the Bridge. What Hudson-Odoi does in terms of being on the pitch, and the way he’s overcome obstacles off of it.

Starting with the recent injury history for Hudson-Odoi, he’s suffered serious issues with his Achilles tendon. This kept him out of the line-up for a long time, and moreover would have hurt his training and development. With his recent performances against West Bromich Albion and Tottenham Hotspur, it’s safe to say we have seen that he’s gotten past this. He is back to full fitness, and he’s still developing really well. He’s not the finished article. Honestly, he may never be fully developed, but he’s still been improving.

Something else to remember with Hudson-Odoi is that he’s 19. He turns 20 next month, but he’s still a teenager and people are already wanting to throw him out the door. People are comparing him to the likes of Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech; yet, the potential Hudson-Odoi holds at his young age means he very well could be a better player than both of these two if he reaches his ceiling. I’m not going to sit here on an American website and say Hudson-Odoi is going to be better than Pulisic—I like my Twitter not being blown up—but I don’t think you can argue that Pulisic has a higher ceiling than Hudson-Odoi does in terms of potential.

On the pitch, Hudson-Odoi has proven his worth time and again. After a really good showing against Tottenham in a match that Chelsea should have killed off, he’s shown that he’s still the skillful young winger he was when he burst into the first team as a 17-year-old. He’s still showing the flare and the intelligence on the pitch to justify keeping him around after a £200 million spending spree. He’s earned his right to compete for his place on the pitch. He’s performed brilliantly when the club’s back has been against the wall, like the 3-0 deficit the Blues incurred at the Hawthorns, or when the facing quality opponents, like Spurs.

The English winger’s skill when facing up with a defender and beating his man to either get a cross in or find a killer pass is exquisite. His dribbling ability is outstanding, and his control when the ball is on his foot is incredible. He may lack the perfect killer ball in terms of shooting and judging the weight of a through ball for the likes of Timo Werner, but Hudson-Odoi is still a very good player in his own right. For someone so young to already possess such talent is a promising sight. There’s going to be a day when Hudson-Odoi will become a great winger. I do not know if it will be at Chelsea or elsewhere, but the way he is developing both as a player and as a person, suggests there’s not going to be a lot stopping him from becoming top class.

Hudson-Odoi had a goal and five assists last year in the Premier League. This may seem underwhelming, but when you remember his five assists were second on the team—despite missed time due to his Achilles injury—it shows even when you don’t think he’s playing well, he’s contributing in ways people maybe forget.

Hudson-Odoi was also one of the first players to test positive for the COVID-19 virus. During lockdown, there was also criminal allegations that have since been dropped, which shows that even at his young age, he’s capable of coping when things don’t go his way. His resilience has been tested time and again and he always manages to overcome the difficulties he faces.

Now, I’m not going to say Callum Hudson-Odoi is going to win a Ballon d’Or, because that is preposterous, even by my standards. However, I don’t think there’s any denying that Hudson-Odoi is already better than a lot of players in the squad. Is he the crown jewel of west London? Probably not, but it’s not a stretch to say that he could be. His young age, combined with his already superior talent level and the strength of his recent development is a cause for a lot of optimism for fans of the Blues, should they keep hold of the Wandsworth native.

Why am I wrong? Let me know. You never seem to disappoint me in this regard, but justify it. I understand as an Englishman writing about an Englishman, I may have rose-tinted glasses a little. So, feel free to tell me why my vision has been blinded by bias.