Featured Image Credit: TheResidncy/Twitter
Topics: Chelsea, Premier League
Daniel Marland
Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah has bravely discussed his battle with anxiety after establishing himself as a first-team regular at Stamford Bridge.
The 23-year-old made his debut under Thomas Tuchel last season, featuring 30 times for Chelsea in all competitions. He's been a key player under new manager Graham Potter, playing all 90 minutes of Chelsea's last five Premier League games.
It sounds like a dream come true on the face of it. Not all problems are immediately visible, however.
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Chalobah's mental health suffered as he felt pressure playing for his boyhood club in important fixtures, including Champions League group games.
"People don't know what players are going through," Chalobah told The Residency podcast earlier this week. "We're normal human beings.
"They think we're superhumans, that we don't get affected by what people say, what people do. I'm the same as you guys."
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When asked if any specific incident had got him down, the England Under 21 international replied: "Playing for Chelsea last season, towards the start of the season I was suffering with anxiety.
"Playing for a big club, 40,000 every week, obviously I was used to it [from] going on loan but it's different playing for your boyhood club, at a big Champions League-winning team the big before that."
Chalobah managed to overcome his issues thanks to strong communication with his family. His old brother, Nathaniel, graduated from Chelsea's academy too and now plays for Fulham.
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He continued: "The start of last season, the first few weeks - the first month or so - was tough, but then I managed to pull through it.
"It was just talking to my family, really. It was talking to people. With my family, we're very close, we've always been close, we're always talking."
Chelsea are currently fifth in the Premier League after suffering a 4-1 defeat to Brighton on Saturday afternoon.
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It was Potter's first return to the Amex Stadium since leaving the Seagulls for Chelsea last month.
Ironically, it was his first defeat as boss and replacement Roberto De Zerbi's first victory.
The Blues have qualified for the Champions League last 16 after a 2-1 win over RB Salzburg in midweek.
Victory means they've topped Group E, meaning there's little riding for them on Wednesday's clash with Dinamo Zagreb.