‘It was like my pre-season’: Callum Hudson-Odoi now fully fit, your defense is terrified

Callum Hudson-Odoi is back. He’s healthy, fit, and feeling good. He’s here to chew bubble gum and dominate fools, and he’s all out of bubble gum.

Now fully recovered from the Achilles injury that so cruelly ended his season in April, and fully committed to Chelsea with a shiny new five-year contract signed in September, the 18-year-old is ready to start his new season in earnest.

“I thought to myself as soon as I come back that I just need to get up to speed and get my fitness back. I think once that happens gradually my dribbling and everything will come back to what it was. Now I am feeling a bit more confident of getting on the ball and doing my stuff.

“As the games go on I will get fitter, get more opportunities to dribble at players and I already feel better now. I wouldn’t say it is my pre-season, I think it is back to normal. I think when I was training, it was like my pre-season getting back to fitness. Now, I am back in the mix, training and playing. Now everything is back to normal so I need to keep working hard and hopefully get fitter.”

In his first four games this season — one League Cup start, one Premier League start, and two substitute appearances (one each in the league and the Champions League) — Hudson-Odoi notched 1 goal and collected 3 assists as well. He continued that good form over the international break by scoring two wonderful goals against Austria for the England U21s.

And that was just his pre-season!

“I definitely think I can improve. I am not a perfect player. No one is a perfect player, I think that every day when I go onto a pitch, I want to try my best, work hard and keep improving. I say to myself, keep going, keep working hard and hopefully more opportunities will come.

“I am delighted to get the goals. It is goals that I always try to get as well as assists - any contributions to the team. I am happy with the finishes and I will hopefully build on it and get many more. I have scored many solo runs, maybe not exactly like that, but I am delighted to get a goal like that. Hopefully many more like that will come and I will get opportunities to score.

“I will hopefully go back to Saturday with Chelsea and get another three points.”

-Callum Hudson-Odoi; source: Goal

Callum Hudson-Odoi is already on fire. Your defenses ain’t ready.