"At times, it was okay. But sometimes, in my head, I'm thinking, 'What am I doing? Why am I in this position? I'm more defending than attacking,' " said Callum Hudson-Odoi when speaking about playing at wingback at Chelsea. In his own words he 'had to get out' of the club over the summer.
His transfer away happened, he was sent out on loan to Germany where fortunes have changed slightly. Although Bayer Leverkusen aren't having a fun time of things in Bundesliga, Hudson-Odoi is being given the freedom to play in an attacking role consistently and the 21-year-old has impressed, scoring his first Champions League goal against Atletico Madrid.
Days later and back in England, it was Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic used on the flanks by Graham Potter this time. Although not wingbacks in the same way that Hudson-Odoi was, the two attackers weren't fully unleashed like they may have hoped.
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In his honest interview, Hudson-Odoi would continue to say, "No matter where I was playing, I was always trying to do my best and help the team — it's not always about myself. I never argued; I just got on with it. But in order to get the best out of yourself, you have to play where you can feel most comfortable and do what you can do best."
Given his escape from Stamford Bridge - to move on from the pressure, attention and memories of past seasons as much as anything - it is slightly ironic to watch Sterling and Pulisic given similar struggles. Just hours before the Blues were condemned to a shattering 4-1 loss against Brighton, former Blues forward Timo Werner linked up with Hudson-Odoi as the pair faced off for the first time.
In a video posted by Leverkusen, Hudson-Odoi and Werner can be seen meeting up on the pitch before the game and embracing before sharing a private word.
Neither of the two truly hit it off under Thomas Tuchel despite brief glimmers of hope. They were both moved on over the summer too, with first-team spots not appearing over pre-season. Werner returned to Leipzig for just £25m, where he was signed for £47m from in 2020, whereas Hudson-Odoi was granted a loan move.
It was part of a wide range of changes at the club that would include Tuchel shortly after the end of the window. Speaking out about his departure from the club, Tuchel opened up on being sacked, saying: "I loved every day at Chelsea. It came to an end too early for me, but it was out of my hands. This is also what you sign up for."
Without Tuchel and with Potter there is perhaps more chance of Hudson-Odoi having a role at Chelsea in the future, but for now he and Werner and in a similar boat of players that haven't achieved what they wanted to at the club.
Werner would go on to score in a 2-0 win for Leipzig, as would Chelsea transfer target Christopher Nkunku. Hudson-Odoi came off the bench for Xabi Alonso's side.
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