Willian talks about his work both on and off the ball

Willian sat down to chat for a feature on Chelsea's website, and had some interesting quotes about his playing style, and idols. You should read the whole thing for yourselves, but I found myself most interested in the player talking about his game.

Let's start with his talk about when in possession of the ball:

‘I’ve always had the speed, the acceleration and the desire to try to dribble with the ball quickly. Ever since I was young that’s been my sort of game.'

‘However, when I was growing up I learned that there are different parts of a game - parts where you need to play with a fast tempo, to accelerate, to move the ball quickly; but also other parts when you need to pause the game, to keep control of the ball, to take your time in thinking about you’re going to do.'

Despite what Arsene Wenger or Barcelona fans would have you believe, what a club does while in possession is only a part of the game. Willian also touched on the importance of winning the ball back, and his work to improve in this area:

‘Everyone knows my qualities and what type of player I am with the ball. I always like to go forward, to accelerate away from players while dribbling with the ball and to try and get a shot away. But the other side of the game is also crucial.'

‘When we lose possession it’s important to try to retrieve the ball back quickly – not just me but the other attacking players as well. We all try to press the opposition when they have the ball because it stops them from settling in a game. Also, if we can win the ball back in dangerous areas it benefits our attacking play. It’s positive for our game.'

‘Personally I would say it’s a part of my game that I’ve been working very hard on ever since I was in Ukraine and now I am happy it’s going well.’

I'd have to agree with WIllian here, his work off the ball has been nothing short of outstanding. At present, he's probably one of the most underrated players in the Premier League, but if he could add a few more goals and assists to the rest of his well-rounded game, he'll start to get the recognition he deserves outside of Stamford Bridge.