'My body let me down' - Chelsea's Lavia on dealing with setbacks

Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia has been done a batch for a 20-year-old.

Aged conscionable 16, nan Belgian near Anderlecht to subordinate Manchester City successful 2020, but nan Covid pandemic meant he moved without his family.

Then, aged 18, and pinch only 2 elder City appearances, Lavia pushed for a move to Southampton - and suffered relegation pinch them successful 2023.

He was still only 19 erstwhile he became portion of Chelsea's spending spree that summer, becoming nan 23rd subordinate signed by nan club's caller ownership. But aft his £53m move to Stamford Bridge, Lavia managed conscionable 29 minutes nether erstwhile leader Mauricio Pochettino arsenic injuries ruined his season.

"My mum ne'er watched a crippled of excavation astatine Man City," Lavia said, reflecting connected his deficiency of first-team chances arsenic he started out. "That's to show you really difficult it was but I ne'er really complained because I knew what I was getting into, nan aforesaid successful each determination I've made.

"It's ne'er been a problem. Even pinch nan injuries past season, it was reliable but what tin you do? Turn it into a positive."

Lavia, who has 1 headdress for Belgium, admitted to "frustrations" and feelings of "unfairness" complete a frustrating first play astatine Chelsea, arsenic a important ankle wounded successful training was followed by a hamstring problem arsenic he neared a return.

“I'd opportunity that it was unlucky and I tried to drawback up each time," he said. "My assemblage fto maine down a mates of times."

However, this pre-season has offered a timely reminder to caller caput coach Enzo Maresca of Lavia's qualities, successful nan lead-up to their Premier League opener astatine location to champions Manchester City connected Sunday (16:30 BST).

Only Christopher Nkunku, Reece James, Malo Gusto and Levi Colwill played much minutes than Lavia during Chelsea's circuit of nan United States, wherever he started each 5 games and sewage 2 assists.

In pre-season, he has been capable to show nan shape that drove Chelsea to motion him from nether nan noses of Liverpool.

"I heard astir Chelsea from a agelong clip agone earlier that [deal] started," said Lavia. "It was a no-brainer. The liking from Liverpool was location but successful my caput I wanted to play for Chelsea."

Maresca knows Lavia's pedigree, having worked pinch him erstwhile coaching Manchester City's elite improvement squad.

“I had [playing alongside me] Rodri, Fernandinho, Kevin de Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva," Lavia added. "These players could play successful midfield and successful different positions if needed and that's thing that erstwhile you look astatine it, you say, 'wow, that's nan level.'

“They're ever putting their caput down and working."

Like Cole Palmer past twelvemonth and Jadon Sancho earlier some of them, Lavia said he near City because he wanted first-team football.

“It was not a difficult determination simply because I felt I was fresh to play," he said.

"I had a bully speech pinch nan head [Pep Guardiola] astatine nan clip and he said: 'Listen, you're young and you request to develop.' He was honorable astir it.

“I felt for illustration I could play and it was conscionable astir looking for nan champion opportunities to get to that shape arsenic accelerated arsenic possible."

He looks poised to commencement astatine nan guidelines of Maresca's midfield pinch 2 from Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall alongside him arsenic much attacking number eights.

"I deliberation we are building thing amazing," Lavia said. "Everyone astatine nan nine tin consciousness it, not conscionable nan players but everyone.

“Man City and each nan teams that person been successful, they needed years to do that. I'm not saying we request nan aforesaid [amount of] years but it's decidedly going to return time. We are alert that it is not going to return 2 weeks.

“The assurance is location and if you look astatine each nan teams, Chelsea is nan 1 that is growing. Even though nan results are not going really nan different teams are doing astatine nan moment, you tin spot nan bigger picture."