Xabi Alonso says Joao Pedro is hungry and determined to have a great second season at Chelsea after the Brazilian forward scored a nine-minute hat-trick in our 6-4 pre-season victory over Western Sydney Wanderers.
After arriving from Brighton and Hove Albion last summer, Joao Pedro made an immediate impression in blue, scoring in the semi-final and final of our triumphant FIFA Club World Cup campaign.
He then went from strength to strength during his debut season at Stamford Bridge, scoring 20 goals across all competitions and being named our Player of the Season by supporters.
Unfortunately, there was disappointment at the start of the summer: the 24-year-old was not included in the Brazil squad for the FIFA World Cup in North America. Yet, in the view of Alonso, the Blues' No.20 has returned for pre-season training with the bit between his teeth.
'He's very hungry – Joao is really, really determined to have a great season,' explained the Blues manager.
'He wants to – after a great last year, where he scored many goals – I think that he wants to keep scoring more and more. But we need to help him, as on his own it's not possible.
'He will have the players around him and they need to have this hunger to score as well. It's not just about the striker, but every time that we win and our striker scores, I am happy.'