Moises Caicedo has discussed his first season with Chelsea so far, admitting there have been periods when the pressure has made things difficult, but learning to control his frustration is helping him to improve.
This season has been a period of adaptation for Moises Caicedo as he settles into life at a new club with new team-mates since his move from Brighton & Hove Albion to Chelsea in August.
More than his new surroundings in the capital, though, the 22-year-old has conceded that it was the increased pressure that comes with representing a big club like Chelsea that was the biggest challenge he has had to overcome during his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge.
‘At the beginning, I felt the pressure,’ admits Caicedo. ‘In my mind, I wanted to show my best football, which is why the club paid the money for me.
‘After that, I started to speak with people who helped me understand that if Chelsea signed me, it’s because I am worth it. I have kept on playing, and I know I have to show my best on the pitch.
‘Of course, I haven’t played every game well, and it was tough at the beginning, but now I feel good and feel I am helping the team. I am only thinking about the game and not what people are saying about me.’
Pochettino embraces Caicedo after the FA Cup fifth-round win over Leeds United
Having cleared his mind to focus on his football, Moises is feeling the benefits on and off the pitch recently, even if he remains frustrated whenever he believes his performance is not where it could be.
That means the Ecuador international knows there is still plenty more room for improvement as he continues to learn and develop with the Blues.
‘Personally, now I am feeling good. I can see my gains, and I am playing better and helping the team. That is important for me because when I don’t play well, I get frustrated.
Being consoled by Ben Chilwell after our painful extra-time defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final
‘It’s my first season at Chelsea so it’s normal that it took some time and I am learning in every game.’
That learning process has been helped by his relationship in midfield with Enzo Fernandez, another South American native-Spanish speaker who joined the club in the previous transfer window.
Caicedo and Enzo have been a mainstay of Pochettino’s midfield
The duo have been almost always present in head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s line-up this season, going through the highs and lows together as they and the team develop.
‘It’s easy to play with him,’ added Caicedo of his partnership with Enzo. ‘We have the same language on the pitch and help each other. We enjoy when we win and we are frustrated when we lose.’
Hopefully, as Caicedo, Enzo, and the rest of the Blues squad continue to build, they will be able to share more moments of joy than frustration between now and the end of Moises’ first season with Chelsea.
