Super Eagles defender, Kenneth Omeruo has opened up on the difficulty he went through trying to break into the first team of Chelsea.
Omeruo, who currently plies his trade at Leganes, was signed to Chelsea in 2012 but did not play a single game for the first team before he was loaned out to ADO Den Haag.
Speaking with a Lagos-based radio station, Omeruo said Chelsea are a big team with a heavy war chest to acquire top players, which according to him makes it difficult for young players to penetrate into the team.
“I think it’s quite difficult (to play for the first team), mostly because Chelsea is a massive club, who have the finance to buy the best players. And I think from a market strategy it makes more sense to buy a player from Juventus, who has been hyped,” said the Nigeria international.
“But, sometimes it’s not about the quality like I have been consistent with the National team since 2013, which means I must be doing something good. Aina (Ola) left Chelsea, went to Torino, He was bought back – to Fulham in the premiership.
“A lot of players, who go on loan are playing and doing well. They (Chelsea) have the money and capacity to buy the best players in Real Madrid or some where, and most times this makes it difficult for the young players to feature.”
By Augustine Akhilomen
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COMMENTS
It is simply because you ain’t good enough to be part of that club,just imagine one would have thought by now you would have raised your game a notch higher but you still stagnated in a lower division in Spain despite the future looking bright at one time in your career..guy wake up
Kenneth is very good.
It’s a pity Kenneth. Inconsistency has been your biggest undoing as a center back. Now let’s carefully look at these two scenarios that occurred while on SE duty. Nigeria had an away game against Zambia in WC 2018 qualifiers. Iwobi & Iheanacho had swiftly put SE ahead with two beautifully taken goals. Mikel and Co had to dictate the rhythm of the game, forcing the Zambians to play an unfamiliar tactics despite playing at home. Behind you was Carl Ikeme, one of the best goalkeepers then. The Zambians were trying to play long balls over our solid midfield. A low cross that you could have cleared with ease instead you went so low to head the ball to the Collins Mbezuma, who had all the time to beat you at near post to pull a goal back. Schoolboy defending.
Again, you allowed Leo Messi(agreed he is genius) to score with his weaker right foot at the WC when a simple touch of the ball would have been enough to push it to safety. Each time you commit those errors, the footballing world keeps watching and keeping records. There are so many other instances.
My guy u re not that good enough to break into the team bcos there still young players who break into the team
So that’s not an excuses.afterall kelechi Iheanacho broke through Man City team
You guys should cut Omeruo some slack joor!
Tell me that defender in the world that has not committed an error!
It’s a pity Nigerians have a way of ignoring ones good deeds, while talking more of errors or unfortunate situations just to discredit a person for no reason.
For God’s sake we’re talking about an Omeruo that has represented Nigeria at U17, U20 and two Senior world cups, two AFCONS and FIFA Intercontinental cups and was never a bench warmer in any of this competitions. Now with 52 international caps and still counting, love it or leave it, Keneth stands tall amongst Nigerian players of his generation.
He may not have played for Chelsea, but he played consistently in the La Liga for two seasons before his team was demoted and he still stands a chance of playing in the La Liga again as his team keeps chasing promotion. Infact, love him or hate him, he’s in the running for a 3rd appearance at the Senior World Cup.
Apart from Taribo West, Joseph Yobo and recently the European born Balogun, Ekong, Ajayi etc, please tell me another Nigerian born defender that was considered good enough for Europe’s top 5 leagues.
For the records, Keneth is the ONLY Nigerian defender that played at U17, U20 and senior world cups. No defender has achieved that feat. You guys can check the records for confirmation.
Lionel Messi beat him to score and so what? Tell me that defender that Messi has not or cannot beat in this world, whether he uses his right foot or left. You remember how Messi beat him and his error against Zambia, but forgot his intelligent assist for Ahmed Musa’s goal at the World cup, forgot his brilliant assist for Ighalo in AFCON and also forgot his sublime header of a goal in AFCON that gave Nigeria her 2nd round ticket.
Omeruo might be past his prime at the moment, but right thinking Super Eagles fans still very much appreciate his contribution to Nigerian football.
Stand up and take a bow wherever you are Keneth Omeruo, you’re a great Eagle and you deserve maximum respect.
Salute, OmoEsan. Very well said.
At a point i did think Lampard will pick you over Zouma because you were making better progress than him, maybe I was the only seeing that but ill still prefer your play to him and you would have been a success for Lampard too.
Guys we should remember the saying ‘who feels it knows it hurts’ we don’t really undersatand what our players are facing in Europe. You have to be two times better than your prefered teammate-If you’re African for the coach to look your way. Omeruo is right in his assertion, even young Saleh was not given a chance, De Breune also, they are contempraries in Chelsea. Luck sometimes plays a big role, or you start small, develop and go to bigger clubs like Babanyaro.