On the day of April 30, Hupu released a special news. This special news was about Chelsea officials and released an exclusive interview with the team's central defender Trevor Chalobah.
Obviously, there were two domestic loan spells and one trip to Lorient. How was that experience for you?
Especially in terms of the environment as a whole, in terms of the club situation. Of course I know what it feels like to be in that situation. For me, as I said, this is part of football.
You must learn. This is part of the lease. You will experience this.
What clearly showed that was when we were at Huddersfield and we ended up with… Then I actually experienced another situation, obviously, it started out badly, but then it ended up being successful in the league.
I also witnessed the joy of that success, so there are two different loan experiences, which is quite good, you know? Then for me, the third loan, going to France, it was obviously a breakthrough in my career.
That's exactly what my heart desires. After two years in the Championship, I came up with the idea of testing myself. Look, I knew in my heart that I had the skills to perform at a high level.
So I went abroad to play football against teams like Paris Saint-Germain, Lyon, Mbappe and all those players, and yes, it was a unique loan move.
Yes, during that period, everyone was discussing the matter of British players being loaned out to play abroad. Obviously this was not common, but more and more players took this approach. Based on this, I fell into thinking…
Yes, it must have had an impact on me, given that I saw players like Jadon Sancho go there. My brother played at Napoli, so I know what it's like. This is also part of it.
That's part of football, sometimes you have to leave your comfort zone and learn a new language and be in a new environment, and for me, that helps me continue to improve.
Yeah, and then you talked about playing against players like Mbappe. I know you talked about confronting Neymar before. You have to mark him then, right?
Yes, I remember I was at Lorient and I was also playing in the midfield at that time and I had to mark Neymar.
In that game, we finally won 2-1 and successfully won. This is a very special game. I knew in my heart that I had the ability to reach that level, and I was eager to use this opportunity to test myself.
During that loan experience, I felt that I had gained experience from the previous loans and integrated everything together. Now, I have added my own strength. I think this is really helpful.
Put another way, what do you think are the key differences? It's obvious that you're comparing players in the Championship to some of the greatest players in history. Let's talk about it again, when you actually face Neymar, how do you adjust your inner state?
Yes, I remember that event. It was the last season of my loan spell and I had to mark Neymar. To a certain extent, I took that game as a signal to myself that this is where I want to be.
This is where I want to test myself. I was immersed in the moment and immersed in the atmosphere. Passionate about the feeling of competing with an opponent. Indeed, enjoy the event.
Then he went to Chelsea, won the European Super Cup on his debut, and successfully scored at home on his first league appearance. How does it feel?
Yes, I will definitely never forget that moment, even in the European Super Cup final, because it was an inaugural final for me, and I clearly remember being on the phone with my family.
I was so nervous that I couldn't help but think, wow, I'm finally going to wear the jersey of the club I've supported since I was a kid, and I'm actually going to play in the final.
I seemed very nervous, but it was obvious that having my family at the scene helped relieve some of my stress. Just enjoy the game. You are here for a reason. You deserve it. You've been through a lot. You've put in a lot of hard work.
This is the moment to present yourself, and the same is true for facing Paris Saint-Germain. This is the time to highlight yourself in front of everyone. Obviously, this is the final. The moment I stepped onto the court, my heart was calm, and I savored every minute and every second of it.
Of course, starting against Crystal Palace was something I didn't expect. Of course, I did really well in the European Super Cup. The situation is the same. I'm a little nervous. It was my Premier League debut, but it felt the same. I had some conversations with my family.
Although this is just a football match after all, when I step onto the field, you just need to relax and enjoy every moment, enjoy it to the fullest.
Scoring in that game is, like I said, something I will never forget and one day I will be able to tell it to my children and it was an unbelievable moment.
The moment the ball scored, I was completely stunned. I didn't know what to do for a moment, and then I fell straight down. Looking back now, that celebration has become a classic. That's something I'm sure I will never forget. That celebration really showed you all my emotions.
You can feel how important it is to you. That is almost the dream that many young Chelsea fans and football fans have had since childhood. At that moment, we experienced this situation in a real way.
I had already planned it before the game. If I could score a goal today, I would definitely do it. Obviously, me as a defender. For me, it's about playing the ball well and defending carefully to win this game.
But, yes, at that moment, I didn't know what to do. So, I did that.