Mykhailo Mudryk responds to being called a 'loser' and opens up on tough start to life at Chelsea

Mykhailo Mudryk has opened up on his tough start to life at Chelsea in a new interview.

The 22-year-old forward, who joined Graham Potter's side from Shakhtar Donetsk in January for a reported £88.5 million, penned an eight-and-a-half year deal at Stamford Bridge.

So far, Mudryk has failed to find the back of the net in eight appearances for Chelsea – a stat that has led to plenty of criticism from rival supporters.

But the pacey winger has shown glimpses of his undeniable potential, especially in March's clash against Leicester City, where he registered his first assist for the Premier League club.

Let's be honest, although it's very early days, Mudryk has struggled to reach the heights of his hefty price tag.

That being said, he isn't worried about his lacklustre start to life in England.

Speaking to Sky Sports about his first couple of months in London, the Ukraine international admitted that period before joining Chelsea, when he was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal, was difficult.

But the ambitious Mudryk says he is used to pressure before responding to his critics.

When asked about whether he had a tough start to life at the Premier League club, he said: "I can say yes, it's a lot of pressure, but it's not for the first time.

"I like this pressure because one day that guy who said I’m a loser, one day he will say I’m a winner. Time will tell.”

Mudryk on: the tough period during his transfer saga and a far from straightforward start to life at Chelsea 😮‍💨

📹: @SkySportsNews pic.twitter.com/3PmBXzukRo

— Zorya Londonsk (@ZoryaLondonsk) March 29, 2023

In the above interview, Mudryk also opened up on his relationship with Arsenal full-back and international teammate Oleksandr Zinchenko, who has been helping him adjust to life in London.

"He helped me a lot. I like him so much. We often joke about Arsenal, Chelsea and what colour London is," Mudryk said.

"But I like this guy, he is a very funny and very kind guy. We spend time always [together] in a positive way."

Then, when the forward was pressed for an answer on what colour London is, Mudryk simply replied: "Blue."

Chelsea manager Graham Potter backed his player to come good after registering his first assist for the Blues in their 3-1 win over Leicester on March 11.

“He'll [Mudryk] get better and better. He's a young player that hasn't that much experience, so each game he'll get better and better," Potter said.

"Mykhaylo’s attitude is fantastic, I love his approach."

Absolutely love this guys mentality so much!🔝

Mykhailo Mudryk: 🗣️
‘A lot of pressure, but it’s not for the first time. I like this pressure because one day, that guy who said that I’m a loser, one day he will say I’m a winner’

Keep working hard! 💪💙⚡️ pic.twitter.com/Gbe1k3JSBJ

— Infinite Chelsea (@infinitechels) March 29, 2023

The Chelsea boss has been a fan since day one. After Mudryk's impressive 35-minute outing against Liverpool on his debut, Potter said he was impressed with the Ukraine forward's impact.

"[Mudryk] hasn't played football for a while, he's been on a mid-season break so we've had to manage his minutes and he's still in that phase," he told BT Sport.

"But I think you can see his quality. I thought he had a good impact on the game."

Thoughts on Mudryk's start to life at Chelsea?

Let us know in the comments.