Kai Havertz has opened up on his ‘very tough’ debut campaign at Chelsea as the £72m attacker revealed that Timo Werner has been a good support in adapting to the ‘intensity’ of English football.
Havertz, 21, has failed to hit the ground running as many expected following his mega-money arrival from Bayer Leverkusen last summer having struggled to find his form, as well as being hit by a bout of coronavirus.
The German’s poor showings, coupled with the misfiring Werner, were factors behind Frank Lampard’s sacking in January and new boss Thomas Tuchel has rotated his forward options heavily since his arrival.
Havertz and Werner have scored eight and 12 goals respectively in all competitions, and although the 21-year-old has showcased signs of improvement in recent weeks, particularly during the huge second leg win over Real Madrid, he has admitted that it has been a ‘very tough’ season.
‘To be honest, it’s very tough. It’s a big change,’ Havertz told Sky Sports. ‘It’s very hard because you play every three days and the intensity here is much more than in Germany, to be honest.
‘Of course it’s a big change for us but for me it always felt good to have Timo next to me because we can talk to each other.
‘We were both in very difficult situations. He was also unlucky this season. But I think right now, for two or three months, we both play very well and I hope we can continue like that.’
Havertz added that the coronavirus pandemic, and the subsequent lockdown, has also affected his and Werner’s ability to settle in London.
‘When you come to London you want to live the life here but in the last few months, it was not possible,’ the youngster added.
‘You always had to stay at home and things like that, so we didn’t experience much from the city.
‘Only football always. But hopefully next season that will change a little bit and we can experience a little bit more.’
Despite his difficulties this campaign, Havertz is optimistic that he will showcase his full potential to Chelsea fans in the coming season, adding that he has felt ‘very confident’ in recent weeks.
‘I know it was a tough season for me, not the best season of me. But I knew before I came it would take some months to adapt to this league, to the country, and since [the last] two or three months I feel very confident. I play well, I score goals, I assist some goals and that is what I want to do.’
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