Chelsea defender Josh Acheampong has given some insight into what it is like to work under Enzo Maresca at Cobham.
Acheampong made his senior debut last season and is now firmly part of Chelsea’s first team.
The 19-year-old has made 12 appearances this term, including four in the Premier League. Maresca has used him at right-back, left-back and centre-back, showing his versatility.
As well as his manager, teammate Benoit Badiashile is also a fan of Acheampong, hailing him as a “top player” earlier this month.
Josh Acheampong on no-nonsense Enzo Maresca
Maresca has not held back in praising Acheampong, going as far as to say he loves the defender.
It has pleased Acheampong, but the English youngster has revealed that the Chelsea head coach will be firm and strict when he needs to be.
“It gives me a lot of confidence to be fair and I just want to repay him on the pitch,” Acheampong said about Maresca’s praise on Rising Ballers. “I think it works both ways [manager showing love but also being firm]. When you’re doing well, obviously you want your manager to say good things about you.
“But on the other hand, maybe in training if you’re not trying hard, you want someone to say fix up. He’ll tell you straight at the time. I think that’s needed, though. So you can’t slack really.”
While Acheampong may be a fan of Maresca, it looks like the Italian has members of Chelsea‘s boardroom he needs to win over.
On Monday, it was claimed that there are doubts about Maresca’s tactics in the Chelsea boardroom, though you suspect they may go away if the Blues accomplish their main two goals this season.
Chelsea are hoping to finish in the top five and qualify for the Champions League. After that, their aim will be to beat Real Betis in the Conference League final at the end of the month.
What Enzo Maresca loves about Josh Acheampong
In the short time that he has worked with him, Maresca has quickly come to appreciate Acheampong’s versatility and willingness to learn.
When Maresca spoke about Acheampong following Chelsea’s 3-0 win against Legia Warsaw, the 45-year-old said: “The one I fall in love with tonight is Josh Acheampong. He can be a fantastic player for this club. A good player can play in different positions and he showed that. Since we started, I’m in love with him but tonight he showed he can be a very good player for this club.
“He can be good in different positions. The best thing for Josh is that he’s open — he wants to learn. ‘Full-back? No problem, what do I have to do?’”
Maresca has been using Moises Caicedo at right-back recently, which has made room for Romeo Lavia in the side. But going forward, if Maresca wants a more natural option, then Acheampong should be considered alongside Reece James and Malo Gusto.
The England U19 international has not disappointed when called upon this season.
