Leslie Ugochukwu made 35 appearances for French club Rennes last season before moving to Stamford Bridge this summer.
Super Eagles prospect Leslie Ugochukwu has revealed that Chelsea’s strong support in Nigeria was one of the reasons why it was an easy decision for him to move to Stamford Bridge this summer, according to Soccernet. ng reports.
The 19-year-old joined English giants Chelsea this summer after establishing himself in the first team through French club Rennes.
Ugochukwu established himself in the midfield of the team that finished fourth in Ligue 1 last season, making 35 appearances and 2,000 minutes in all competitions.
After deciding to leave his boyhood club Rennes for Chelsea just months after his 19th birthday, Ugochukwu revealed that being Nigerian was one of the reasons for his move Did.
The French U21 player is the nephew of former Nigerian player Onyekachi Apam and represented the country’s U20 Flying Eagles, U23 Olympic team and Super Eagles until his retirement.
As Ugochukwu is from Nigeria, he noticed the passion fans have for the English Premier League, where almost every soccer fan strongly supports a particular team.
Ugochukwu is aware of his parents’ huge support for the Blues in Nigeria and reveals that was one of the reasons why it was an easy decision to join the club when he was first intrigued I made it.
Signing for a club like Chelsea also makes sense for them (his parents). The 19-year-old player revealed in an interview that is one of the big clubs that everyone supports in Nigeria (quoted on chelseafc.com)
The Nigerian-French U21s have identified John Mikel Obi, another Nigerian who previously wore the Blues jersey, as an early inspiration, with whom they share common ground and heritage.
Didier Drogba is another blue player that comes to mind, and he dreams of emulating the success of the Ivorian, who also moved from Ligue 1 to the Premier League.
The 19-year-old has only played eight minutes in the Premier League and 90 minutes in the Carabao Cup since joining the club in the summer.
