Hakim Ziyech has told Thomas Tuchel he’s happy playing as a winger or in midfield but that he’s pleased to fill in wherever when fit, as long as he’s getting minutes under the new Chelsea boss.
The 27-year-old has been hampered by injury since his move from Ajax to Chelsea last summer window and has seen a managerial change at the club, with Lampard sacked and replaced by Tuchel.
Tuchel named Ziyech in Chelsea’s starting lineup for their draw with Wolves – the German’s first game in charge – but the winger failed to make the squad against Burnley and has been an unused sub in the last two wins against Tottenham and Sheffield.
When quizzed about his struggles in London, Ziyech told Dutch outlet Ziggo Sport: ‘It has been a difficult first six months for me at Chelsea.
‘I began with an injury, came back and then got injured again. Things have not gone as I had hoped. ‘The pace of the game over here is much quicker than it was at Ajax. I picked that up straight away, and then I got injured in my first training game.
‘That sets you back completely and then it happens again. It was bloody annoying. ‘I am used to having my friends, and my mum, around me. Being without them has taken some getting used to, and of course the lockdown has made matters worse.
‘On top of that I’ve had to learn how to drive on the other side of the road. I’ve not had any accidents, but it was very difficult at the start.’
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The Moroccan winger wasn’t particularly surprised by Lampard’s sack and said the ‘main thing’ going forward was being a regular in Tuchel’s team.
‘You know what can happen if results aren’t good enough. It’s not the first time I’ve seen a manager sacked,’ he added.
‘We’ll have to see what type of system he [Tuchel] favours. ‘I don’t mind whether I play on the right wing or in the middle, just so long as I can play. For me that is the main thing.
‘I always have faith in myself. I know what I can do, and I won’t put pressure on myself. ‘The best of Hakim Ziyech is yet to come.’
