Malo Gusto has been speaking about life at Chelsea after getting a run in the starting XI under Mauricio Pochettino.
The Frenchman sat down to hold an interview with Chelsea’s official website, where he revealed that an incident in August left everyone “sad” at Stamford Bridge.
So, what did Malo Gusto say? Let’s take a look…
What’s the story?
Well, the £26.3m signing from Lyon has now revealed how everybody felt after Reece James suffered another injury setback.
The England international, who was named captain by Pochettino, lasted just 76 minutes in the Premier League opener against Liverpool on Sunday 13th August before he was forced off.
Of course, that benefitted Gusto, as it meant the France Under-21 international was able to step into the Chelsea No.24’s place.
However, the 20-year-old admits he and his teammates were left disappointed after James endured a setback.
Gusto said: “We are all sad for Reece. We must not forget he is our captain, he is important for the squad and the club. Now I must use this opportunity to replace him in a good way and show that I can play.
‘When you sign for a top club you expect to be next to big names. I know I have the skills and quality and I’m here for it. It was a similar situation at Lyon. (Leo) Dubois was also the captain. So, it’s nothing new for me. I have always learned from these situations. It’s important to have this type of competition.”
Malo Gusto comments should impress Chelsea fans
Clearly – despite a lack of experience – Gusto has a wise head on his young shoulders, and appears to possess an excellent mentality when it comes to dealing with competition.
The Chelsea No.27 also seems to be a huge talent from a technical aspect as well as mentally.
In his appearances since replacing James, Gusto has looked composed on the ball, shown strong creativity – as seen when he notched two assists against Luton Town – and also doesn’t seem afraid of a tackle.
Hopefully, Gusto and James can enjoy some healthy competition when the latter returns to full fitness.