Estevao thanks Chelsea fans for their ‘incredible’ support in helping him to settle in at the club | OneFootball

Chelsea youngster Estevao has thanked the club’s fans for their “incredible” support and says he wants to repay the faith they have shown in him.

The 18-year-old has enjoyed a fine start to his first season at the club, scoring his first Premier League goal with his late winner against Liverpool.

And the Brazilian forward says the level of expectation Chelsea fans already have of him makes him proud.

“I’m very happy with the affection from Chelsea’s fans and the club itself,” he said. “It’s incredible, you know?

“In the last game, I was warming up, and you can see that people expect something from me, expect something I can deliver on the field. So, I’m very happy and I try to reproduce that on the pitch, make them proud because I see how much they value me, how much they want me to be there.

“So, that’s the feeling, not to let them down, to bring joy to them, to make them proud in the best way I can, whether by scoring goals or helping the team get the victory. I’ll try my best to make them very proud.”

Estevao moved to Chelsea from his boyhood club Palmeiras and while he says the switch has involved a lot of change, he is pleased with the way he is adapting.

“I’m managing to adapt faster than I expected,” he said. “It’s the style of the Premier League, it’s the style of Maresca, European football, and off the field, I think it’s mostly the culture, which is very different, but I really like the English culture. It’s an incredible culture, full of history.

“So, not just me, but my family is really enjoying it; my sister is loving England. She’s already speaking more English than me, speaking fluently.

“I’m very happy to be giving her this opportunity to experience new things. I believe everything is going as smoothly as possible.”

The Brazil international has also impressed for his national team of late, scoring twice in a 5-0 win over South Korea last time out and says he is enjoying playing in different positions too.

“It’s been quite frequent at Chelsea, with coach Maresca always trying to get the best out of me, and in training, he’s been deploying me in various attacking positions so I can expand my repertoire, have more game options, and improve my skills,” he explained.

“In the last game against Liverpool, I played on the wing, and in the Champions League, I played in the middle against Benfica.

“Of course, I am open to various playing options; whatever is available, I can play in those positions, inside or outside, depending on what’s best for the Brazilian team. I believe I can help in other positions too, so whatever is best for the team and for the coach, I’ll be happy.”