A former housemate of a Chelsea star has revealed how the player almost saw his opportunity to play in the Premier League slip away from him.
According to the Mirror, Iker Goujan, a professional footballer who currently does not have a club, was “inseparable” from the Blues man.
Goujan and the now Premier League player lived together for two years as the pairing both played for Spanish outfit Villarreal.
The Spaniard explained how he formed a friendship with Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson after he ‘accidentally’ got the Senegal international sent off in a Villarreal B game.
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Goujan hurled a chair from the bench during the celebration of a 3-2 win over UCAM Murcia, but it was Jackson who was mistakenly shown a red card by the referee – since this, the 25-year-old has felt ‘forever in debt’ to Jackson.
The winger also revealed how he witnessed Jackson’s first opportunity to secure a move to the Premier League slip away from him.
Goujon believes the incident summed up the striker’s determination to get to the elite level of the game.
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The report explained how he was driving the forward to the airport ahead of a proposed £20.3m to AFC Bournemouth in January 2023 when Jackson received a WhatsApp message notifying him that the deal had collapsed.
Goujan was there to pick Jason up upon his return to Spain, but the forward remained determined, saying, “Now I need to work harder than ever to earn the opportunity again."
Jackson continued to work hard, scoring 13 goals in 38 appearances for Villarreal in his final season at the club.
Of course, it’s fair to say the failed move was a blessing in disguise as just six months later, Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea signed Jackson for a reported fee of £32m, according to BBC Sport.
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Despite the Argentine departing in the summer, new boss Enzo Maresca has shown faith in Jackson, and so far this season, the forward has been in fine form – scoring Premier League goals in 12 games.
His impressive tally currently puts him sixth in the overall goalscoring chart for the 2024/25 season.
Jackson has also added assists to his came, setting up three goals for his teammates.
Topics: Chelsea, Premier League, Villarreal, Mauricio Pochettino
Luke Davies