London [UK], September 4 (ANI): Germany and Arsenal striker Kai Havertz reflected on his learning in England ahead of the Premier League clash against London rivals Chelsea, saying that after spending six years in the Premier League, he would not change anything he has done and London is his “home” as the country has made him the person he is today.
Arsenal, after a winning start in the Premier League in both matches, will play London rivals Chelsea at home on Sunday. As Arsenal prepare to lock horns with Chelsea in a blockbuster London derby, all eyes turn to Kai as he faces his former club in a key attacking role. Speaking on JioHotstar, Havertz opened up about his challenging early days at Stamford Bridge during COVID, his tactical rebirth as a commanding number nine at Arsenal, and the gruelling set-piece drills that fuelled Arsenal’s Premier League-winning campaign.
Speaking on JioStar, Kai said about his opening days in the Premier League, when he joined Chelsea for a three-year stint from 2020-23, saying that the first few months were tough on him as he failed to make an impact and started to doubt himself. This came after a four-year stint at home with Bayern Leverkusen from 2016-2020.
“When I first arrived in the Premier League after signing for Chelsea in 2020, I did not overthink it. I was young and wanted a new experience. I wanted to leave Germany, test myself, and grow as a player. I thought it might be easier than it turned out to be, but then in my first few games, I realised how intense the league really is. It was during COVID, so without fans, the atmosphere was different, but the pace and physicality were still a shock. For the first few weeks, I questioned if I had made the right choice. I struggled to make an impact and doubted myself. The first four or five months were really tough,” he said.
Kai walked out of Chelsea with a UEFA Champions League title in 2020-21 and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2021 as his biggest accolades.
Speaking on having spent six years in England in the Premier League, Kai said that every struggle and setback taught him something valuable.
“Looking back now, after spending six years in England, I would never change anything that I have done. Even though some things didn’t go as planned and I was not that successful in every moment, for me personally, I would never change anything because it made me the person I am now, the football player I am now. Every struggle and every setback taught me something valuable. I grew stronger through the tough times, and those experiences shaped my character both on and off the pitch. London is my home now, and I am very happy here in this lovely city. I feel settled, I feel loved, and I feel like I belong,” he said.
Kai feels that the Premier League is the best club competition in the world, saying that the level of competition is really great here and any team can beat anyone, making it extremely important for the players to be at their best every game.
“A footballer’s career is short, so I want to make the most of it. I want to play as many games as possible and keep improving, and that is why I came to the Premier League because it is the best league in the world. The level here is incredible, any team can beat anyone, and you must be at your best every single game. Doing that every three days makes it even tougher. Over the last six years, I have seen the league get stronger each season. Clubs are spending more, signing better players, and the quality keeps rising. But that’s exactly what you want as a professional: to compete at the highest level against the best players,” he added.
Speaking on his transition from an attacking midfielder to striker as a part of Arsenal, a club with which he won the Premier League, he said that the role change taught him a lot and he started using his body better in the box as he learnt how to hold off defenders and be in the right positions to score.
“I started off more as a midfielder for Arsenal, but over time I moved into a number nine role. That change taught me a lot, especially how to use my body better in the box. I’m a big guy, and I need to make that count. I had to learn how to hold off defenders, win aerial duels, and be in the right positions to score. It took time, but I feel comfortable in that role now. At the same time, set pieces have become a huge part of our game. We treat them like penalties, every time we get one, we feel like we can score. We work on them tirelessly in training, and it shows in matches. We scored so many goals from set pieces last season, and that was a major reason why we lifted the Premier League trophy,” he signed off. (ANI)
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