'I needed to play' - Chelsea star shares honest conversation he had with Liam Rosenior | OneFootball

Joao Pedro recently shared the conversation he had with Liam Rosenior over fears of reduced game time under the new Chelsea head coach.

It has been almost a month since Chelsea appointed Rosenior to succeed Enzo Maresca, whose surprise departure came days earlier in January.

Mid-season head-coach changes would be exciting for fringe players, who would hope to increase their involvement under the new management, but for the established players, it could raise some concerns.

It was the case for Joao Pedro, who had been the first-choice striker under Maresca.

The Chelsea summer signing did not hide that he had to speak to Rosenior about his concerns.

IMAGO / APL

"It's World Cup year, and with the arrival of a (new) manager there's always that fear, because I'd been playing regularly under Maresca, and then there was a change of manager," the Brazil international told Globo Esporte in a recent interview.

"When Liam arrived, I think I was one of the first players there to have a conversation with him, and one of the points I made to him was that it's a World Cup year, that I needed to play because I represent the Brazilian national team, which is a team with great players. And that I needed playing time.

"I told him that if he gave me playing time, I would respond on the pitch.

"He has given me a lot of confidence since he arrived, and we know how important playing time is, because in my position in the Brazilian national team, there are many players who want to be there, myself included. So the competition is fierce.

"But, thank God, everything is going well, I've had a good run of games, and I'm doing what I can on the pitch. And it's going very well, thank God."

IMAGO / Sportimage

It is safe to say that Joao Pedro has delivered on his promise so far.

The 24-year-old has arguably been one of, if not the most consistent performer at Chelsea under Rosenior, with four goals and an assist in the last four games.

It is also understandable that players have personal ambitions, especially heading into the World Cup, and Joao Pedro's determination to perform on the pitch to increase his chance of becoming Brazil's number one striker could only benefit Chelsea.