Ben Chilwell has opened up on supporting Manchester United as a child, putting context to previous rumours linking him with a move away from the club. The 26-year-old signed a new two-year extension in April, putting an end to speculation over his future.
Having joined in 2020 he has been the club's first-choice left-back throughout, gaining more recognition as a world-class defender and enhancing his role within the nation side. Despite being second choice to Luke Shaw, Chilwell has remained in contention throughout having proven his abilities as a wing-back.
For Chelsea, he has been integral to success on the pitch and runs of bad form have often coincided with his lengthy spells out injured. After a damaging fall on his knee in November 2021 he has missed 58 games. Earlier this season a hamstring knock shortly after returning kept him out again.
Chilwell's season was also ended early after one more suffering with a hamstring problem that saw him sidelined for the final five games. He is now set to play a key part in the preparations for the new season under Mauricio Pochettino.
As an attacking full-back, he naturally fits the bill for the Argentine's aggressive press and intense positional play. With Danny Rose showing the way for his sides in the past, Chilwell as a high and wide full-back is nothing new and poses to be one of the major beneficiaries from the new appointment.
Under each of his three permanent head coaches so far Chilwell has made himself near undroppable when fit, scoring nine times and assisting 12 for the club in just 85 games. The same expectations have been laid on him now and Chelsea fans will be happy to know that he has committed himself to the club.
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It had been reported that Manchester City were one of the sides keen to take advantage of his deal, which had a little over two years left to run before signing a fresh extension until 2027. Now he is part of a core group of players tied down to Stamford Bridge and the new project.
“I feel very settled at Chelsea and have really enjoyed my time on the pitch here so I’m very pleased the club want me to be part of the project long-term, and am very happy to sign this extension to my contract," he said in April.
“We are working hard for success and I will do my best to bring more smiles to the faces of the fans who have made me feel so welcome.”
However, having moved from Leicester in 2020, the club he played for since joining the academy as a youngster, it is actually Manchester United that he followed at the time. I used to go to Man United games, funnily enough, with my dad, who supported them," he told the club website.
"The first one, I can’t remember who it was against, but it was a Man United game. We always used to go to the Champions League ones after school, so it would have been a Champions League game at Old Trafford, that’s the first one I remember. Having your first one in the Champions League is pretty good.
"We used to go by train, we would have to take about four different trains, straight from school, and just about make it for kick-off, then get about four different trains on the way home as well, get home for one o’clock in the morning, straight into school the next morning again, but they were brilliant memories."
Chilwell has since gone on to win the Champions League as a player, playing an integral role in Thomas Tuchel's remarkable 2021 squad. The next step for him will be trying to not only return to fitness but also get him and his teammates back into Europe's elite club competition.
"It’s nights like that which make you fall in love with football," he continued. "Going straight from school, six- or seven-hour round trip, just to go and watch a game. Just being starstruck and in awe of all the players, that’s the kind of night which makes you love football I guess.
"I was focused all on the pitch, trying to find my favourite players at the time and just seeing them in person was crazy. Just the feeling of awe at the position they were in and looking up to them like gods.
"Of course the atmosphere’s amazing, but I was definitely one of those people focused on the pitch and the players."
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