Chelsea loanee Callum Hudson-Odoi said he had to leave the club when he did as things were not going to script.
Many youngsters started at the famed Chelsea academy. The players left the club for the required experience before getting into the squad at Stamford Bridge. Very few players have been able to break into the team. The difficulty in breaking into the Chelsea squad has broken some players, while others went out, hoping to return.
While players like Conor Gallagher and Armando Broja have returned successfully returns to the club, and Trevoh Chalobah broke into the team from the youth set-up, Callum Hudson-Odoi is unsure what the future holds for him. The England youth international hopes to return to Stamford Bridge soon.
Callum Hudson-Odoi made it into the Chelsea senior team but failed to tie down a permanent shirt. He was afforded several opportunities and even attracted interest from Bayern Munich, but Chelsea believed in him and refused to sell. The youngster went on loan to Bayer Leverkusen. Odoi hopes to return to Chelsea and fight for his shirt.
Why I left Chelsea – Hudson-Odoi
Callum Hudson-Odoi is a Chelsea bred, who wants to make his mark with the Blues, but needs to cut his teeth elsewhere. There were a lot of expectations of him at Stamford Bridge, and the youngster is keen to live up to the promise at Chelsea.
Last season, Hudson-Odoi had a frustrating time. The winger was limited to just 11 Premier League starts last season. He also suffered an Achilles tendon injury that pushed his the second half of the season off track. With his career-derailing, Hudson-Odoi has confirmed that he had to leave Chelsea to get his career back on track.
The quest to get his acts together and ensure he repaid Chelsea led him to seek a move away from Stamford Bridge. Hudson-Odoi joined Bayer Leverkusen in the summer on a season-long loan deal. Looking back at his decision to leave Chelsea, the 21-year-old winger said he had no other option but still wants a Chelsea return when his loan spell ends. He is eager to play a significant role for Chelsea.
Callum’s role at Chelsea
Hudson-Odoi told The Athletic that his mindset before leaving Chelsea was to get out of the place immediately. He said it was not in a rude way because he still loves the club, but he needed to play football somewhere else – to start afresh. He wants to do his best elsewhere and then return to Chelsea at the end of his loan.
It was difficult for Hudson-Odoi to nail down a position at Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel. Tuchel deployed the youngster at wing-back at times with little success. According to Hudson Odoi, he never had issues with Tuchel, but finding his best form in an unfamiliar position was difficult.
In response to the question, if he was a natural wing-back, Hudson-Odoi replied emphatically – ‘Definitely not!’
Leverkusen is just above the bottom three, with former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso trying to salvage the situation. Despite their position in the Bundesliga, Hudson-Odoi has been playing regularly and believes he has settled in well.
Odoi said he enjoys the experience even if the results are not what they want. He looks forward to returning to Chelsea after his loan.
