'I was going to play 90%'  - Chelsea star opens up on competition with Jackson, Palmer, others

'I was going to play 90%' - Chelsea star opens up on competition with Jackson, Palmer, others

Ifeanyi Ufomadu 11:25 - 26.09.2024

The competition for places at Chelsea under Enzo Maresca is heating up and nobody's safe, according to one of the Blues' star players.

Chelsea's summer signing Pedro Neto has quickly learned that securing regular game time at Stamford Bridge will require a lot of hard work, considering the vast array of talent at Enzo Maresca's disposal.

Neto arrived from Wolves in the summer, expecting to be first-choice but must compete with several bright talents like Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk, and established stars Jadon Sancho and Cole Palmer.

The 24-year-old made a compelling case for himself on Tuesday night, scoring his first Chelsea goal in the 5-0 Carabao Cup thrashing of Barrow.

Pedro Neto ready to fight for Chelsea starting spot

After the game, he acknowledged the challenge of earning a starting spot at Chelsea.

"With the amount of quality that we have here, no one can sleep," Neto told reporters.

"As the coach has said, 'Everyone will not play every game.' So we have to work hard and push ourselves every weekend, every training session, every game.

Neto emphasised the need for constant improvement, drawing from his experience at Wolverhampton.

"When you arrive at a big club, it's a new adaptation. Maybe in Wolverhampton, I was going to play maybe 90% of the games.

Here, I have to work even more, or maybe I won't play because the coach will rotate the players. It makes you play even better because you know that you have to work."