“Spectacular guy” – Estevao names the one player who helped him settle most at Chelsea | OneFootball

Estevao is not just a wonderkid prospect anymore – he’s an important player in Chelsea’s squad, either starting or coming on in almost every game the Blues play.

Ahead of last weekend’s win over Tottenham, he spoke a little to ESPN Brazil about his adaptation to life in England so far.

Estevao picks out one Chelsea player for special praise for helping him settle

Estevao Willian taps the badge. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

“I can’t help but mention the Brazilians, who helped me a lot,” Estevao said of the people who have helped him the most.

“The Spanish too, because the language is similar, and Pedro (Neto), who is Portuguese. But an Englishman who always helped me, even before I arrived, was Reece James.

“He’s a spectacular guy who’s always talked to me since I arrived here. On the field, we kind of play together, so he’s always talking to me. Before, they had to translate, but now I’m able to communicate better with him. Besides being the captain, he’s one of the pillars of the team, and I was very happy with all the support that not only he, but everyone in the group, gave me.”

That’s great to hear – it’s been a year since James’ leadership was questioned by Enzo Maresca, and it’s clear that since then it’s something that has improved immensely, and this is just the latest example of that. Estevao is already looking very much at home, and that can only help the team.

In other news…

In the same interview, Estevao also talked about the nickname he got in Brazil and how he had dealt with it since. People won’t be mentioning it much longer.

Liam Delap messed up his return to action last midweek – but should get another chance on Wednesday when the Blues head to Azerbaijan to take on Qarabag.