Hudson-Odoi’s latest interview gives some hope of a long-term Chelsea future

Callum Hudson-Odoi helped launch some new fashion-football-lifestyle concept magazine last week (“GAFFER Magazine”), and as part of that promotion, he sat down with The Independent’s Tom Kershaw for an exclusive interview that may be about as shallow as the glamour magazine itself, but still probably worthy of attention if that’s something (or in this case, someone) that interests you.

And certainly, Callum Hudson-Odoi is someone whom we’re always interested in, especially as Kershaw posits that the decision to stay or leave Chelsea is something “he is yet to decide”.

Callum himself doesn’t quite say that, but he does talk about his pride of playing for the shirt, of working hard for himself and the team, of learning from the highly experienced and successful (and often quite good) trio of players ahead of him in the current pecking order.

“I’ve been there throughout my whole life. Putting on the shirt for the first time, being a homegrown player, at such a young age, making my debut was an amazing feeling.

“Just seeing my shirt in the dressing room, it made me feel like a part of the club. It was a dream come true. [Once I was on the pitch] I just wanted to get on the ball as much as possible and show what I’m capable of. I think now I’ve done that, I’m just delighted and pleased for myself. [When] I’d actually scored my first goal for my club. It was a proud moment for me and my family.”

“Everyone in the dressing room was very humble and genuine [when I came in]. There was nobody who was bigger than anybody else, no egos. They brought me into the system and made me feel welcome and to not be scared or nervous, just myself.

“I look up to everyone, but I especially look forward to training with [Eden] Hazard, Willian and Pedro especially because that’s where I play. I just keep working hard to try to emulate what they do and, hopefully, I can be where there are one day.”

-Callum Hudson-Odoi; source: Independent

The 18-year-old also talks a bit about growing up at Chelsea, about living at home, about the advice he received from his father, Bismark, once a professional footballer in Ghana, and brother, Bradley, 12 years his senior and now with a decade of experience in non-league semi-professional football under his belt, about winning the U17 World Cup, and about never getting nervous — the world is his oyster, after all, and Chelsea need to be making any and every effort to convince him to stay (and sign new contract at some point in the next 12-15 months).