Antonio Conte has questioned how Victor Moses was overlooked at Chelsea for so long after seeing him develop into a key member of his table-topping side.
Moses spent the three previous seasons on loan at Liverpool, Stoke and West Ham after moving to Stamford Bridge from Wigan in the summer of 2012.
It was thought the 25-year-old would seek a permanent transfer last summer, but he has shone in Chelsea’s 3-4-3 formation, making the right wing back position his own.
Jose Mourinho deemed Moses not good enough for the first-team during his second spell in west London, but Conte insists he spotted the former Crystal Palace winger’s ability almost immediately.
‘I could see his (Moses’) potential from the first days of the summer training camp,’ Conte said in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.
‘Moses has important qualities: technique, physical strength, the ability to cover seventy meters of the pitch.
‘I find it incredible that someone like him has been underestimated.’
Moses has started each of Chelsea’s last six Premier League games, helping his side win each of them without conceding a goal to move top of the table.
Conte has also praised the impact of Pedro during his side’s recent good run, and lauded the contributions of top scorer Diego Costa and October’s Premier League player of the month, Eden Hazard.
‘Pedro? He has qualities of absolute excellence. He’s perfect for the 3-4-3,’ Conte added.
‘As for Diego Costa, Diego is one of the best strikers in the world. For us it’s not just important that he’s a goalscorer, but that he works for the team.
‘Eden Hazard? Eden’s talent is beyond question, he’s a world class player and a great lad. He has a surprising maturity for his age.’
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