Kurt Zouma: My difficult journey back to Chelsea first team

Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma has expressed his happiness to be back in the club after his three years in limbo, describing his route into the first team as a “very, very long journey”.

The 24-year-old’s progress was halted by a knee injury in 2016 that kept him out of action for more than nine months.

He was then sent out on loan to Stoke, during which time the club were relegated and then, last season, Everton, where he impressed.

There was hope at Goodison Park that he would sign on a permanent deal but Lampard, having replaced Maurizio Sarri, brought Zouma back to Stamford Bridge and has gone on to show faith in the centre-back.

The France defender has started each of Chelsea’s three games this season. They have yet to win under Frank Lampard and Zouma played poorly in the opening-day defeat by Manchester United but there have been encouraging signs.

For Zouma, in particular, there are reasons to feel upbeat, report the Guardian.

“It has been a very, very long journey. I don’t want to talk about that now, because that is the past but I fought very hard,” said Zouma after Sunday’s 1-1 home draw with Leicester.

“People don’t know, people don’t see but I was in the shadow, working hard to get back because I had a very bad injury. I was off for one year but people forget that and don’t see. But I always believed in myself. My family was always there behind me and now I am back here, I am very happy to play here. I just want to keep going.

“Everything is done now. I have to do my job. I just want to work hard and play. That’s what I’m trying to do and the most important thing is the team. We need to start winning games.”

Zouma was not surprised by Lampard’s decision to start him in all three games. “That’s what I wanted,” he said.

“I am in a big club and everyone wants to play. The competition is very hard and there are a lot of talented players, so when you train you have to do it right. That’s what I am trying to do and that’s what I am working hard for.”

Zouma, along with Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham, have formed part of a new and younger Chelsea and he believes they will improve the more they play together.

“We are understanding each other,” he said. “There are players who came back – like me – and other players, the younger guys who came in. Now we are starting to understand each other. We just need to be more clinical and get the wins.”

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