It is rare for a player to complete the full 90 minutes in the opening pre-season match, but Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka did just that against Wrexham in Santa Clara.
The 20-year-old linked up with our squad the morning after the game, by his own admission a bit tired in the legs, but certainly pleased to have started and finished the game.
“It’s the first time I’ve played 90 minutes since last summer,” he is quick to stress, “so I’m happy with that and getting that much time early on will only make me stronger for the games to come.”
The ability to play 90 minutes was in line with the plan for Chukwuemeka, with the England Under-20 international having worked hard all summer in training to ensure he was physically fit for the first day of pre-season.
“I pushed myself hard,” he explains. “I had a lot of training camps to make sure I came back fit and strong and I think that showed in the Wrexham game. I was still a bit sore at the end of the game but the training had meant I was fit to play the full 90 minutes.”
For Chelsea and Chukwuemeka, attention now turns to Celtic, who play Notre Dame tonight, before games against Club America, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge.
Chukwuemeka’s focus is understandably on what happens next, but it would be remiss not to look back at his progress last season. A season marred by injuries – the first of which he suffered in just his second game – provided development opportunities for the young midfielder.
“Of course it was frustrating,” he said, “I’d waited a long time for my opportunity and I’d only just joined the team, but things happen for a reason and I kept my purpose from last season because you can take something positive from a negative.”
“I grew physically and mentally and always looked to the future instead of focusing on my current struggles. I continued to pray and I think my relationship with God is one of the reasons I’ve stayed grounded and mentally strong.”
“My family has always supported me in ways I couldn’t do on my own.”
Family support also came over the summer: “I went on trips with my cousins and the whole family. They help me stay calm and focused. On the days when I was a bit tired, they helped me get my work done.”
Aside from the fact that Chukwuemeka played the full 90 minutes, what was notable about his performance against Wrexham was his positioning on the right wing in the first half, which was uncharacteristic.
“I’m used to being on the left wing but I can play well in different areas of the pitch,” he explains.
“We’ve been working on a new format in the first few weeks so it will take time to adapt to everything, but the coach (Enzo Maresca) understood the ideas on the pitch and we worked well together.”
“So now it’s just a matter of building on it in the games to come.”