Defender Trevoh Chalobah has followed in the footsteps of his brother Nathaniel by transitioning from amateur football in his London borough of Gipsy Hill to the Chelsea first team.
Both brothers, born in Sierra Leone, played at grassroots level until Nathaniel was signed by west London club Fulham. Chelsea were quick to sign Nathaniel and Trevoh wanted to follow in the brother’s footsteps. “When I saw that, I started to shift into high gear,” the 22-year-old said in an interview for FedEx’s Next in Line program. “A few weeks later, Chelsea came to pick me up. »
Joining the Blues’ youth ranks proved to be a huge step forward for Trevoh. Alongside Mason Mount and Declan Rice, he admits to having doubted his own abilities at times.
“From U16, I started
to rise in power »
“I remember I was in the car with my recruiter as he took me to training and brought me home. I would start crying in the back of the car, saying, “I’m not good enough, it’s too hard for me. »
However, the club had the credit of seeing untapped potential in Chalobah. “One of our coaches said, ‘I’ll try to get you to play defense’,” he recalled. “I started to do well! And then I started believing in myself more. I had the size, I had the strength. I improved my speed. From U16 I started to ramp up. »
Chalobah learned while on loan at Ipswich, Huddersfield and Lorient. He made his Chelsea debut in the 2021 UEFA Super Cup, where the Blues beat Villarreal on penalties following a 1-1 draw at Belfast.
“I remember the meeting two hours before the game and saw that I was in the starting XI,” he said. “I was shocked but at the same time happy and nervous. It was my first UEFA final for the club. I was just fired up for this game. You want to impress and you want a chance to win a trophy. We ended up doing it and it was a great way to start the season. »
Chalobah’s horizons were further expanded in November 2021 when he made his UEFA Champions League debut. He rose to the occasion, opening the scoring and being named player of the match in a 4-0 win over Juventus.
Objective now, continue on this path. “I always work on my speed,” says the player.
“After each match, it’s displayed on the screen: the maximum speed reached, the distance covered, speeds, decelerations, everything. My highest speed would probably be 34 km/h. It’s pretty quick, to be honest, but I think the tallest is Timo Werner. I think he’s at 36 or 37. Timo Turbo: That’s what we call him. »
Chalobah is determined and knows that at some point, he will have to face difficulties. “Not everything will be a long calm river. There are going to be a lot of ups and downs and you have to deal with them. »
“When I started playing football, I wanted to be a legend wherever I was; to be that person who inspired young children, who walked a good path, and who is obviously remembered. Going from the Sunday League to one of the biggest clubs in the world, yes, it’s an incredible journey. »