Chelsea - News and Rumors

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Chelsea to be given close-up view of transfer target Paulinho







Dominic Fifield in Yokohama
guardian.co.uk

Corinthians' Paulinho in training ahead of the Club World Cup semi-final against Al Ahly in Yokohama. Photograph: Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP/Getty Images
Chelsea will assess the Brazil midfielder Paulinho first-hand when he plays for Corinthians in their Fifa Club World Cup semi-final against Al Ahly on Wednesdayafter seeing Oriol Romeu ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.

Paulinho was a key member of the Corinthians side that claimed the Brazilian league title in 2011 and the Copa Libertadores for the first time last season, earning international recognition with the Selecao en route. The 24-year-old has previously played in Europe, with FC Vilnius in Lithuania and the Polish club Lodzki, with his recent performances having attracted scouts from the likes of Internazionale, Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City.

Inter, who had made concerted efforts to secure the player last summer, were under the impression a buyout clause in the Brazilian's contract drops his valuation after the tournament in Japan to around £12m. Yet, while Paulinho himself has said he would be willing to remain at Corinthians for another season, there will be fierce competition for his signature with the European champions expected to enter the fray.

Chelsea have been monitoring his progress regularly, having come close to bidding for his services last summer, and could yet confront him in Sunday's Club World Cup final in Yokohama if they and Corinthians progress through their semi-final fixtures. The London club will be represented at the Brazilians' game in Toyota City on Wednesday and will check on the player in the flesh, with thoughts having already turned to strengthening the squad during next month's transfer window.

While the manager Rafael Benítez is only contracted until the summer, he has spoken to the technical director Michael Emenalo and the board about their plans in January, with the European champions seeking to add further depth to their squad. There has been interest in Newcastle's Cheik Tioté in the past with Romeu's loss representing a blow given numbers are relatively short in central midfield, with the Spaniard having undergone surgery on the knee he twisted during Saturday's Premier League victory at Sunderland.

The 21-year-old, who has made 33 first-team appearances since signing from Barcelona in the summer of 2011, underwent an operation on Monday to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament and repair the medial meniscus in the joint. His rehabilitation will extend to six months, with Benítez having already identified the need for a ball-winning midfielder to add to his options despite being barely three weeks into the job.

The Spaniard has used the attack-minded Oscar more sparingly in recent matches as he has sought a more natural blend of attack and defence in his lineup. "You need to know the players and find the balance," said Benítez. "If you have too many players with quality, these players [Eden Hazard, Oscar, Juan Mata, Victor Moses] we were talking about, all dynamic, but you cannot regain the ball then you don't have that balance.

"To keep possession you have to regain the ball and keep the ball. If you give the ball away you have to regain it. And when you have new, young players coming through, some playing in a different league, they need more time to adapt."

That search for balance will continue in Japan, the team at least bolstered by two recent victories and the return of Frank Lampard to full fitness, with this tournament of particular emotional significance for the stand-in manager. Benítez had taken his Liverpool side to Yokohama for the Club World Cup back in 2005 as European champions only to lose his father, Francisco, on the eve of the semi-final victory against Deportivo Saprissa.

"My father had been very, very ill," said Benítez, who had visited his family in Madrid ahead of the competition. "In Spain the tradition is that the funeral is held the day after you die – in England it can be a week later – so I couldn't get back in time. Those are bad memories, obviously, because it was a bad time for me, but we knew that my father was ill. It was just a question of when it happened. But it was a bad time for me, a bad time."

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Chelsea struggling with jet-lag ahead of Club World Cup semi-final



Dominic Fifield in Yokohama
guardian.co.uk


Rafael Benítez has conceded that some of his Chelsea players have been struggling to sleep since touching down in Japan at the weekend, with the lingering effects of jet-lag potentially handing Monterrey an advantage ahead of Thursday's semi-final between the teams in the Fifa Club World Cup.

While their Mexican opponents have already been in Japan for 10 days, having initially based themselves in Nagoya before moving to Yokohama, Chelsea only touched down on Sunday having flown, via Helsinki, after their Premier League victory at Sunderland.

They have sought to allay the after-effects of that 12-hour journey, rising relatively late in the morning and training in the afternoon close to their hotel on the harbour.

Yet some concerns do remain. Gary Cahill admitted it had been "strange" upon arrival as the players struggled to adjust, though he insisted he was now "fresh and ready to go".

"My main focus so far, and that of my players, has been to try and sleep more than four hours [a night]," said Benítez.

"It's quite difficult. We've tried to adapt to the time difference, as well as the pitches here and the ball [which has been fitted with a chip to register with the GoalRef goalline technology system being used in Yokohama]. Everything. It's all a bit new, but we've done everything we have to do."

The interim first-team manager has studied footage of the Concacaf Champions League winners' recent fixtures and intends to pick his strongest team to ensure Chelsea progress into Sunday's final. He will consider handing Frank Lampard a first start since 23 October, with all of his travelling squad available for selection.

"I intend to pick a team to win the game," added Benítez. "You cannot think about the final until you've won the semi-final, after all, so we are focusing just on Monterrey. But, for us, this is a very important tournament.

"I've had two opportunities to participate in it before [with Liverpool and Internazionale] so I know the meaning of it, but I've heard some of my players saying they have been dreaming of winning this tournament. That is what we want to do."

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Ashley Cole forced to play the waiter as Chelsea prepare for Monterrey





Dominic Fifield in Yokohama
The Guardian


It took three days of Chelsea's stay in Japan for Ashley Cole, hardly a natural fall guy, to be reduced to waiting on tables at his team-mates' pleasure. The England full-back's shoddy display on a team visit to the bowling alley as they enjoyed some time to bond on Tuesday night cost him a forfeit. "It was to serve six of us dinner at the hotel," said Gary Cahill. "Let's say he's a better left-back than a waiter. The only tip was: 'Don't do it again.'"

The European champions' tournament only begins against Mexico's CF Monterrey on Thursday as they attempt to secure passage into Sunday's final against Corinthians but, already, Rafael Benítez has achieved one of his objectives from a week-long stay in Yokohama. The interim first-team manager's brief tenure had been a whirlwind of awkward fixtures, interspersed with only the occasional extended training session to grow more accustomed to the squad he has inherited from the deposed Roberto Di Matteo. The Spaniard had barely caught his breath. An evening out with the players and staff charged with gleaning this club more silverware was clearly beneficial.

The manager himself competed with his coaches on one of the lanes, the players splitting into groups of six with Cole's defensive instincts clearly impairing his ability to floor many pins. "It wasn't about who won, it was about who lost," said Cahill. "Because whoever lost had to get the dinner in. It's hard to do things like that normally because you have so many games. Back home it's recovery work, then playing again. I remember in pre-season we went out for a meal, all looking the same in [club] chinos, and there was paintballing when AVB was here. We're not here on holiday, but down time can stop you going stir crazy."

There was actually an ulterior motive to Benítez's outing to the local amusement centre, with the manager well aware of the effect jet-lag can have on his squad since their arrival on Sunday evening. Back in 2005 when he brought Liverpool here for this competition, José Reina and a number of other senior players had drifted off to sleep in the tactical meeting ahead of the semi-final victory against Deportivo Saprissa. "This time we knew we had to do something to keep the players busy," said Benítez. "If not they go to sleep. It's when they're thinking about going to sleep that you need things to do, so we had to organise some activities to keep them ready." Chalkboard routines and DVD analysis only go so far.

They will hope to be sprightly enough against Monterrey, the Concacaf Champions League winners who have been in Japan for 11 days, an acclimatisation Benítez considers "a real advantage". Víctor Manuel Vucetich's side are neat in possession and, even without their injured forward Humberto Suazo, will pose a threat. Chelsea are still considering how much involvement Frank Lampard will enjoy, the veteran midfielder having not started a game since 23 October after calf trouble and with the coaching staff unconvinced he would last a full 90 minutes. The 34-year-old may have to accept a cameo appearance on the club's debut in the competition. "They are a good team, but we don't know if they can match the tempo or our intensity," said the manager. "It will be difficult."

Yet Chelsea can cling to recent improvements, with last week's victories steadying the ship and the manager having an effect. "Robbie did fantastically to win so much in such a short space of time, but the new manager has new ideas, even if he's not had much time to put them across," added Cahill. "It's been a tough few weeks to become aware of the way Rafa works and what he expects. You can see that coming together now. He definitely stresses the importance of everyone knowing their role and knowing what to do when we have the ball and when we don't have the ball. Hopefully we have tightened up a bit." Chelsea, and Cole, are waiting to make their mark on the Mexicans.

Chelsea probable Cech; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill, Cole; Ramires, Mikel; Moses, Oscar, Mata; Torres.

Monterrey probable Orozco; Sergio Pérez, Hiram Mier, Basanta, Chávez; Meza, Ayoví, Cardozo; Corona, Delgado, De Nigris.

Referee C Vera (Ecu)

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Frank Lampard: goalline technology will add magic to Club World Cup




Dominic Fifield in Yokohama
The Guardian


Frank Lampard believes goalline technology will "add magic" to football as the Chelsea midfielder, whose non-awarded "goal" for England against Germany at the World Cup two years ago convinced Fifa innovation was required, prepares to compete in his first competitive match with a scientific system of verification operating in each goalmouth.

World football's governing body, much to the Uefa president Michel Platini's frustration, is using its Club World Cup to test two goalline technologies, with Hawk-Eye in operation at Toyota City and GoalRef, which uses magnetic fields around the goal and a special ball fitted with a chip, at Yokohama International stadium. Chelsea and Monterrey will benefit from the latter on Thursday should there be any "ghost goal" controversies.

"It's been quite a long time coming and it's too important an issue to let it go any more," said Lampard, whose chip against Germany cannoned down from the crossbar behind the line and back up to the bar before Manuel Neuer could recover the loose ball, with the officials waving the play on. "It's a no-brainer to bring it in and make the calls correctly. I think it will add magic. I'm a big cricket fan and it's added magic to cricket. We all want calls to be 100% right and it will clarify what has happened to everyone. And it will be pretty exciting.

"Of course it was such a high-profile game in the World Cup, England against Germany and such a blatant case of the ball crossing the line, that it made everybody sit up and take notice. We need to get it. With the speed of the game at this level you can't ask any human to make that call correctly every time. And, in the business we're in, it's too crucial."

GoalRef, who is confident Fifa will choose its system ahead of Hawk-Eye for next summer's Confederations Cup in Brazil, insists a referee will receive a signal to his watch within 0.3sec of the ball crossing the line and would be capable of delivering a graphic illustration almost instantly on a big screen at the ground, or on television at home, should Fifa give its consent.

A period of adjustment would be required with both. Gary Cahill and his interim manager, Rafael Benítez, suggested on Wednesday that the ball, complete with chip, had felt "heavier" despite GoalRef's claims to the contrary. Hawk-Eye, which uses cameras to track the ball's trajectory, argues its system's introduction would be far less dramatic than GoalRef. However, some players have apparently been perturbed by the removal of traditional white netting in the goals, in favour of the black required by the video technology which is denying them their normal "box" to aim at.

Fifa will continue to debate the issue using this tournament in Japan as a working example of how accurate the various systems appear to be. "If you have the technology and you can guarantee it is fine, then you have to see it," said Benítez. "If it is quick, like the referee having a vibrating watch, then it's fine. The technology has to be 100% secure, though the other thing is it will be quite expensive so I don't know whether it will be introduced everywhere."

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Club World Cup: Chelsea cruise in to final with 3-1 win over Monterrey





Dominic Fifield at Yokohama International Stadium
guardian.co.uk



If there had been any lingering concerns over whether Chelsea had acclimatised to life in Japan, they have now been dispelled.

The European champions breezed into the final of Fifa's Club World Cup at Monterrey's expense and will confront Corinthians on Sunday pepped by a third successive victory.

Rafael Benítez and his squad had resorted to tenpin bowling to beat the jet-lag. A stroll against Mexican opposition must have felt just as theraputic.

Favourites have been jettisoned from the semi-finals of this tournament occasionally, but it rarely felt as if the Premier League club would succumb here, so complete was their dominance throughout.

The lead was still only narrow at the break, but any hopes Victor Vucetich's Concacaf Champions League winners might still have harboured were wrecked in the opening minutes of the second period when their resistance disintegrated entirely.

Fernando Torres scored within 19 seconds of the kick-off, and Dárvin Chávez's own goal three minutes later ensured there could be no adequate recovery.

In truth this whole contest, played to a murmur of noise in a cavernous arena that was apparently half full, felt every bit the warm-up to the main event and the Brazilians, chilly spectators in the stands until leaving en masse with six minutes to go, will provide far more of a test in Sunday's showpiece.

Yet Benítez and his players will be fresh and focused for that game, the manager encouraged by David Luiz's dominant display in an unfamiliar central midfield berth, Juan Mata's continued excellence and Torres' bite up front.

The Spaniard has scored five times in his last three appearances – the first time he has netted in three successive games while at the club – with his finish here flicking up off a defender to flummox Jonathan Orozco. Confidence is returning to his game, with the final an opportunity to prove he is no mere flat track bully.

His supply line is certainly clicking back into gear. While Mata has been consistently impressive since mid-September, there were also promising signs from Eden Hazard and Oscar against this accommodating defence, that trio having been thrust back together by the interim first-team manager.

Oscar, who had exited this competition at this stage while with Internacional back in 2010, provided the clever back-heel for Ashley Cole just after the quarter-hour mark, the full-back scurrying into space, glancing up and then slipping a fine pass in-field for Mata.

The Spaniard was unmarked and took a touch before finishing classily beyond Orozco, his celebration a six-fingered salute to the absent No6, Oriol Romeu, who will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.

Chelsea should have prospered further in the exchanges that followed, their dominance unchallenged by opponents who seemed cowed by the occasion. Monterrey were too pedestrian in possession, their teenage winger Jesus Corona alone offering any urgency and occasionally discomforting Cásar Azpilicueta in the process.

But Aldo de Nigris nodded wide after winning an aerial dual with Petr Cech – the striker would make amends of sorts deep into stoppage time with a consolation from a tight angle – and, with their chance to draw level spurned, they wilted.

Torres' reward felt like a release, the striker darting into space within minutes to square for Mata, whose cross was duly turned into his own net by Chávez.

The centre-half, an Olympic gold medalist in the summer, had expressed a desire to play in the Premier League on the eve of this game and was hoping to use it to showcase his talents. Those heady aspirations will surely have to be shelved. For Chelsea, a chance to claim this trophy beckons on Sunday.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1)

Cech; Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Cahill, Cole; David Luiz (Lampard, 64), Mikel; Mata (Ferreira, 74), Oscar, Hazard; Torres (Moses, 79). Subs not used Ramires, Marin, Turnbull, Bertrand, Piazon, Hilario, Saville.

Monterrey (4-3-3)

Orozco; Pérez (Osorio, 58), Mier, Basanta, Chávez; Meza (Solis, 83), Ayovi, Cardozo; Corona, Delgado (Carreno, 83), De Nigris. Subs not used Lopez, Morales, Moreno, Madrigal, Dautt, García, Ibarra.

Attendance 36,648. Referee C Vera (Ecuador)

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Chelsea fan arrested over alleged racist gesture will face no action




Press Association
guardian.co.uk


No further action will be taken against a man who was arrested on suspicion of racist behaviour following Chelsea's League Cup win over Manchester United.

Pictures taken during the fourth-round tie at Stamford Bridge on 31 October appeared to show a fan making a "monkey" gesture towards the United striker Danny Welbeck.

A 28-year-old man was arrested over alleged racist behaviour, other fans were interviewed and CCTV footage has been examined.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "A decision was taken with the Crown Prosecution Service to proceed with no further action.

"The Metropolitan Police Service takes any allegation of racist chanting and/or behaviour very seriously and if any matters are brought to our attention they will of course be thoroughly investigated.

"The MPS routinely work very closely with football clubs and partner agencies to monitor behaviour to ensure public confidence and safety."

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Chelsea's Frank Lampard expects to be a free agent in the summer




Dominic Fifield in Yokohama
The Guardian


Frank Lampard expects to end his 12-year association with Chelsea next summer. The England midfielder is approaching the final six months of his contract with the European champions and no negotiations are scheduled to discuss an extension.

Lampard, who has appeared as a substitute in the wins over Sunderland and Monterrey after a six-week absence with a calf injury, believes he can play for two or three more years at the top level and is eager for regular involvement, though it appears that will have to be at another club.

The 34-year-old was a key member of Roberto Di Matteo's Chelsea side who won the Champions League in May but, with the club's hierarchy intent on refreshing the squad with younger players, he has drawn his own conclusions from the lack of dialogue over a new deal.

"I'm a Chelsea player but at the minute nothing else has been said," he said. "Talks about a one-year or two-year extension don't exist because nothing has been said and nothing is planned, as far as I know. There have been no talks about anything or about an extension.

"The ball is in Chelsea's court. I feel like I have two or three years at least in me at the top level but it is not for me to decide on this one. It's up to the club. Whatever happens, I have had a great time at Chelsea. Maybe things don't last forever, although I want it to.

"I'm not the kind of player to see out my time and sit with my bum on the bench too much. I want to be involved. That's my character. I will keep trying to do that, whatever the circumstances. I feel like I've had a good year, particularly from where we were in February to playing what I like to think was a big part [in the European Cup success]. "Obviously Didier [Drogba] played the biggest part but we were the players who came back in [under Di Matteo], who were out a bit [under André Villas-Boas], and made a difference."

Lampard is Chelsea's third highest goalscorer, with 189 goals in 611 appearances in all competitions, after joining for £11m from West Ham United in 2001. Interest has been lodged for his services by the Chinese side Guizhou Renhe, and clubs from Major League Soccer, in particular Los Angeles Galaxy are likely to step forward when he becomes available. Chelsea's interim first-team manager, Rafael Benítez, who is contracted himself only until the summer, had confirmed two days into his employment that he assumed both Lampard and Ashley Cole would leave the club at the end of the season.

The latter is expected to join Paris St-Germain but, while Benítez picked David Luiz in midfield ahead of Lampard in the 3-1 win over Monterrey, both players will have significant roles in the months ahead. Lampard, left (after the match), said he was fit to start against the Mexicans.

"It was the manager's decision," he said, Benítez having made his selection possibly with Sunday's final against Corinthians in mind. "People say when you are older you shouldn't play so many games but you need some sort of regularity to playing. Any player will tell you that. That's why Paul Scholes retired at one point; he felt he was sitting on the bench and, as he got older, he found it more difficult to sit there and be expected to come on and turn it straight on." Benítez was booed again by some of the 1,000 Chelsea fans and the recently adopted 16th-minute clapped tribute to Di Matteo was maintained. "Players have to concentrate on our game, regardless, but obviously we know the atmosphere is different," said Lampard, who had witnessed from the stand back at Stamford Bridge the crowd's hostility towards the new man.

"Maybe it doesn't help us quite so much. But Chelsea is the fans. You have to respect how they feel, you have to respect Roberto Di Matteo and at the same time respect that Rafa is going to try to do the best job he can at Chelsea."

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Mikel John Obi happy for Mark Clattenburg to referee Chelsea games




Dominic Fifield in Yokohama
The Guardian


Mikel John Obi has insisted he would have "no problem" playing in a game refereed by Mark Clattenburg in future but the Chelsea midfielder stressed that the broader issue of racism still needs to be tackled in football.

The Football Association determined last month that no charges would be brought against Clattenburg after investigating a claim by Mikel's team-mate, Ramires, that he had heard the official describe the midfielder as "a monkey" during the 3-2 defeat by Manchester United on 28 October. While Ramires stands by his testimony, Chelsea subsequently expressed regret over their handling of aspects of the formal complaint lodged to the FA and the Premier League with club, player and official all seeking to draw a line under the controversy.

"I think now it is done I am glad it is over," said Mikel. "I am sure he is glad it is over as well, and the FA is glad it is all put to bed and we can move on from here. [The issue of racism] is just one of those things in football. It has been there for years and, you know, hopefully everyone will work together – the players and the FA – to make sure we try to stop things like that."

The Chelsea chairman, Bruce Buck, had met Clattenburg at the National Football Centre in Burton upon Trent to discuss the issue with the 16 elite referees, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited general manager Mike Riley, and the Premier League's chief executive, Richard Scudamore. He had stressed that the club would have no issue whatsoever if the official took charge of a match involving the London club in future, with Mikel now expressing similar sentiment. "I think sure, why not," said the Nigerian. "Everything is put to bed, we move on. If he refereed a game there would certainly be no problem [with me]."

The 25-year-old is currently one game into a three-match domestic ban after confronting the referee in the officials' room after the loss to United, the FA having taken into account the fact he was under the impression at the time that Clattenburg had racially abused him. He will miss next week's fixtures against Leeds in the League Cup and Aston Villa in the Premier League.

No further police action is to be taken against a supporter who was arrested on suspicion of racist behaviour following Chelsea's League Cup victory over Manchester United only three days after the league fixture between the clubs. Pictures taken during the fourth-round tie appeared to show a fan making an alleged "monkey" gesture at the visitors' striker, Danny Welbeck. The 28-year-old was arrested, other fans interviewed and CCTV footage scrutinised but on the basis of the evidence collected, no prosecution is to be pursued.

"A decision was taken with the Crown Prosecution Service to proceed with no further action," said a police spokesman. "The Metropolitan Police service takes any allegation of racist chanting and/or behaviour very seriously and if any matters are brought to our attention they will of course be thoroughly investigated." The supporter, who was neither a season ticket holder nor a member at Chelsea and had been sitting in a seat allocated to another fan, has been banned from Stamford Bridge, with that situation not expected to change.

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Chelsea can still win Premier League title, claims Rafael Benítez





Dominic Fifield in Yokohama
The Guardian


Rafael Benítez believes Chelsea will still rival Manchester United and Manchester City for the Premier League title, with the interim manager confident that a victory over Corinthians in the Club World Cup final on Sunday will inject conviction into his squad.

Chelsea will take on the imposing Copa Libertadores winners here, by which time United could have stretched their lead over third place to 13 points by defeating Sunderland at Old Trafford. That advantage could be extended further by the time the London club next kick a ball in the Premier League, against Aston Villa next Sunday. Yet Benítez can call upon the revival he instigated at Valencia in 2004, when his team recovered late to overhaul Real Madrid, as evidence of what such momentum can achieve.

"People tell me that it's a two-horse race but, realistically, if you win two or three games in a row then you have more confidence," Benítez said. "If we win here and play like we did against Monterrey [in the semi-final], good football with the quality we have going forward and the right balance in defence, this team can go on to win games in a row easily. How many? I don't know. But if you win three or four in a row, confidence will be so high.

"At Valencia we were well behind, eight points down in January or February, but I told the players that they would go on to win the league. The way we trained was key. And, with the way we train here, I'm confident we will be better and better every single week. I haven't had time to tell the players here the same, but when I talk to the players I can see in their faces they have the belief. They know that what we are doing, the roles and the movements [we're asking them to work on in training], is all working. If, against Aston Villa next week, we can reproduce the same levels we have been, they will start building this confidence."

Victory against Corinthians would secure silverware within a month of the Spaniard's surprise appointment – albeit qualification for the Club World Cup was secured by Roberto Di Matteo's success last season – and the players are intent upon making their 6,000-mile journey to the other side of the globe worthwhile. "The feeling is we haven't completed the job," said Juan Mata. "We came out here to win the tournament, and we want to be world champions.

"We know Corinthians are one of the best teams in South America, so we will have to play at our best level if we are going to win the game. The football we produced in the semi-final against Monterrey was the type the manager has told us he wants to see. But, having come out here, so far, we are only halfway there. Now we have to finish the job."

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Mikel John Obi suggests David Luiz's Chelsea future lies in defence





Dominic Fifield in Yokohama
The Guardian


David Luiz's reputation as a buccaneering centre-half prone to maraud upfield precedes him these days, though that same wanderlust clearly grips the Brazilian even when he is employed as a midfield shield.

Rafael Benítez thrust the 25-year-old alongside Mikel John Obi against Monterrey on Thursday night in the hope he would choke the Mexicans' own creative threat and, while the experiment appeared successful, David Luiz still refused to conform, with his midfield partner even taken by surprise. "It was a bit of a shock to see David lining up there," said Mikel, who had been unaware of the interim first-team manager's plans until the team's pre-match meeting.

"I said to him as we got on to the pitch: 'Where shall I play?' He said he'd play the holding role and that I should go forward. I said OK but, when the game started, I looked up and he was already up their end of the pitch.

"David is a great player, but I don't know if this is going to be a long-term thing. I think he needs to play at the back. It was a good performance from him – he kept the ball well and played it well – but when it's not your normal position you sometimes lose something. He is a great player and a strong character who can only get better for this club. He keeps going and doing his thing. Fair play to him."