“We push him” – Chelsea’s new striker on what he is forcing Estevao to improve | OneFootball

Joao Pedro’s long interview with the Evening Standard has lots of interesting elements.

We particularly enjoyed the part where he explained how he and Andrey Santos had taken their fellow Brazilian Andrey Santos under their wing. It’s already been noticed that the 3 of them spend all their time together. JP explained how they were helping the teenager settle in a new country.

Striker on how he is helping his protege thrive

Joao Pedro celebrates a preseason goal. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)

“We always stay together at breakfast, lunch, training,” Joao Pedro explained.

“I’ve known Andrey for more than eight years because we have the same sponsor. Andrey is funny, we joke a lot. Estêvão is shy. It’s difficult for him to adapt. I try to push him to ask for his breakfast in English.

“Sometimes training is too long for him and he feels tired before gym. I don’t always need to do the gym, but I go with him because this is very important for him. He knows how physical the Premier League is. Me and Andrey push him.”

Brazilian contingent already proving their worth helping young talent

That’s really great to here. Both Santos and Joao Pedro have superb, Premier League ready physiques. They don’t need to worry as much about the gym. Estevao is still a teenager and a willowy, slight figure. Teams are bound to try and rough him up, so gaining some muscle will be vital for his success.

It’s great that the support from his teammates is more than just friendship and support – it’s taken on a more direct form here. We want the whole squad to be in harmony – and it looks like it is – but these smaller cliques can also be a positive, if you’ve got the right characters and personalities involved.