TO be the best, you have to act like the best – Noni Madueke knows that.
While with England’s U21s this week at St George’s Park, he sat down with assistant coach Ashley Cole and performance analyst James Ryder to go over some specialist clips.
On the screen were Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah; two global superstars and two players Madueke believes he can emulate, if not surpass.
Madueke explained: “I watch them a lot. The way they always follow their pass into the box, or when a teammate is in the box, they’re always there to anticipate.”
On whether he is aiming to hit Mbappe’s and Salah’s insane levels and beyond, he added: “Of course. I think I have got it in me.”
Some may suggest that is an incredibly naïve outlook, especially given his underwhelming start to life at Chelsea since joining from PSV back in January for around £30m.
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Injuries and set-backs see him with just one goal in 15 Premier League appearances so far – while a recent spat with boss Mauricio Pochettino over partying has not helped matters.
Yet Barnet-born Madueke, 21, feels NOW is the time to start judging his credentials – and has provided a glimpse of them on international duty, albeit against weak opposition.
In Thursday’s 9-1 thrashing of Serbia’s U21s to make it two wins from two for the Young Lions in their Euros qualifying campaign – having won the competition back in July – Madueke fluffed several first-half chances to score.
He came alive after the break, with two finishes that show his desire to be like Mbappe and Salah is not just big talk.
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The first, in the 53rd minute, was straight from Salah’s playbook, cutting inside off the right, dummying several defenders before firing into the bottom corner with his left foot.
And then the second, in the 59th minute, was a calm and instinctive first-time curler just inside the box, arguably Mbappe-esque.
Despite the questionable defending on show, Madueke looked a class above anyone on the pitch at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground – a tall order in this very talented England group.
Should Madueke suddenly hit the grounding running for Chelsea when the Prem returns next weekend, Poch should send a few cases of Argentinian wine to Stamford Bridge legend and ex-England left-back Cole, and a bottle or two to U21s head coach Lee Carsley.
Madueke continued: “Cars and Ash give me the freedom to play. I love coming over here and showing everyone what I can do.
“Ash takes a very personal approach with bettering my game. We’ve been watching clips every day this week, just to make sure when I play, I get into the box.
“I’m extremely good in one-v-one situations but I could probably score and assist more, so he’s on at me with that type of stuff.
It’s been difficult, it’s not easy. But every player goes through it, so I’ll be alright. I definitely back myself. I’ve got the ability and talent and I’m sure things will click sooner rather than later.
Noni Madueke
“One thing I’ve got to add to my game is the easier goals, the one-touch goals — that’s what I’m trying to improve.
“I work very hard on that. I know I go at such a pace so sometimes I’ve got to calm down at the last moment, take a breath and then slot it away.”
Carsley feels Madueke is ready to prove what an asset he can be to Poch and Chelsea, and hailed the impact of Cole – now also assistant at Birmingham City under Wayne Rooney.
Carsley said: “Ash is obsessed with football. He wants to know everything about everything.
“He is very good in the dressing room and on and off the pitch he is a good person. He wants his players to do well and does a lot of individual work with them.
“There is a lot more to his arsenal than just defending – he is a good all-round coach, but he is also a very humble and unassuming guy.”
Mid-table Chelsea certainly need some of Madueke’s spark heading into a tough run of fixtures, including Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester City and Newcastle,
Off the back of a rough few months, Madueke said: “It’s been difficult, it’s not easy. But every player goes through it, so I’ll be alright.
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“I definitely back myself. I’ve got the ability and talent and I’m sure things will click sooner rather than later.
“I’ve just got to get my head down and work hard so I can do it when I get back to Chelsea.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
