Can Chelsea keep up the pace at the top and continue their charge for the title this weekend? Well, it won’t be easy, that’s for sure.
Ahead of the clash, Showmax chatted to Senegalese-born Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson. The striker has been at the forefront of Chelsea’s fine form in recent games, and he could be the difference come the weekend when they face off against a tough Everton team.
Tell us a little bit about your background and your personal life growing up?
I’m obviously Senegalese, but Senegalese and Gambian because my dad is Gambian and I went to Gambia when I was young. When you’re young, normally in Africa, you always go to your dad’s place, you know? And so, I went to my dad’s home, and then I went back home to Senegal when I was maybe 14 ,15, to be with my mum again.
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Why did you decide to pursue football?
It’s difficult to choose, so you just have to do what you want to do and try to go with it 100%. So I did football and then decided I’m just going to play, and I went all out in training every day. And then I went to the teams and I played street football when I was young, of course. I started off in first division, then went to Villarreal and now I am at Chelsea.
Tell me a bit more about street football because, you know, you’re a Premier League footballer now, life is very glamorous, but not too many years ago you didn’t even have a pair of football boots
We didn’t have original boots because it’s too expensive, so normally I played with my school shoes or barefoot because my family didn’t want me to play. It’s not that they didn’t want me to play. They didn’t just want me to waste my time playing football because it’s too difficult to be successful in football in Senegal. You have to be very talented or lucky to go. Maybe two players leave in 10 years or two players leave in five years. So it’s not that they didn’t want me to play, it’s just they didn’t want me to waste my time playing. So, they said, no, don’t play, just study, study, study, study. So I was always studying.
You must have had incredible belief because you just said only one or two make it out and your family wanted you to study. How did you know you were going to be one of those who made it big?
I knew since I was young. My dad asked me when I was about four or five, what I want to be in the future and I said, a football player. He told me it was difficult to succeed. I knew I had to work very hard and I wasn’t scared of being successful.
You played at school. You played in the streets. Then your first taste of organised football is with ASC Tilene. What was that experience like?
It was difficult, especially when I came to Spain because I didn’t have that experience. I was just running and playing with the ball and dribbling a lot. In Spain, they tried to teach me where to stand, I was like, bro, just let me play. And then I understood more. So, it’s like three years of trying to learn tactics and try to run behind.
I hear that you were very willing to learn. Was that just because you wanted to make it to the top? Are you very open to learning in order to be the best?
I’m open to learning from people I know want to help me. Not everybody, you know. But I’m stubborn as well. So I like to listen to people that want to help me. But the pressure is it’s normal because when you’re in a big team and you want to be the best, if you cannot handle the pressure, I think you should not play football because football is all about that, because they don’t know what you’re doing off the pitch. They just know what you’re doing on the pitch so they don’t care what you’re doing off the pitch. So, you just have to handle the pressure and try to play football and enjoy it and try to win.
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How did your move to Chelsea come about?
I was playing well at Villarreal and scored 12 goals that year. After the season I was going on holiday. I told my agent, I don’t want to talk about any club now, I just want to enjoy myself please. But there was interest from a few clubs, I think some teams in Milan. But one day my agent just calls me and tells me we are going to Chelsea. I said, oh, good. He said, but there is too much pressure. I said, don’t worry, If I was not ready I would tell you. But I know I am ready for that level.I was ready to face the pressure, but I think even my friends were saying, oh, don’t go to Chelsea. I think some people in the national team told me, no, don’t go because there is too much pressure. I said, bro, but we’re different, you know.
Your start was very difficult at Chelsea though, wasn’t it?
It was very difficult, but nothing is easy in life, but it’s different now though. I don’t mind the difficulties and challenges. Also, the more I hear people saying bad things about me, the more it drives me. You know, criticizing me. I just love this.
Do you feel you settled in at Chelsea now?
I’m feeling good. Very good. With the players, with the coach, when they’re playing. And there’s no pressure it means, you are doing well. I am just trying to focus and work harder
As an African goal scorer playing for Chelsea, the comparison that was inevitable was you and Didier Drogba. Do you feel it? How do you feel about it?
I don’t compare myself with anyone, because I haven’t reached the level of a Drogba as yet.
Didier is like a legend in Africa and a legend in Chelsea. He won everything. I haven’t won nothing yet. I haven’t done nothing yet. So, I don’t really like the comparison, but it’s nice. It means you’re heading somewhere, and you just try to work harder to be like him or more than him.
What about the manager Enzo Maresca, how he’s adapted to what he wants, how he’s helped you?
He’s amazing because he was obviously last year with Leicester and he has been at Man City. So he has a lot of experience in helping all the players, bringing new ideas to the play, and helping the team a lot and he has a winning mentality and ambition too. He is also a very amazing person. So, we’re very happy to work with him and I hope we do amazing things together. We travel together and have many happy moments together in Chelsea.
Have you set any immediate targets for this season? Like a certain number of goals you want to score?
Not me personally, my brain is always okay, so that’s not for sharing.
