Josh Acheampong is the latest member of the Chelsea squad to add an entry in our Club World Cup diary. The defender discusses Academy relationships, his first season in the senior squad, and how he is keeping busy during the Club World Cup.
Maybe this isn’t the right thing to admit in Miami, but I don’t really like beaches! The sand…it’s just not for me. I’d much rather be beside the pool, visiting the shops or seeing the town.
We’ve had the chance to do some of that after the win against Benfica, and it’s important for everyone to rest and recharge because we want to stay in this tournament until the end.
This has been a different experience for me compared to our last visit to the U.S. Last summer – the pre-season tour – was about showing people what I could do. Now I’m more confident because I’ve had a season around the squad and I’ve built new connections and friendships.
That helps on and off the pitch. Obviously, we spend a lot of time together at the hotel and everyone gets along. Some of the boys play cards, and we’ve had a table tennis tournament too.
Trev is the best, I think. I used to be good, but I don’t really play much anymore. When we’ve got downtime, I actually just try to sleep and relax. I’ve been watching Power on Netflix, same as Ty. He copied me but is a bit behind, so I’m trying not to give away any spoilers!
I think everyone knows we’re really close; we’ve obviously made that journey through the Academy together. But it’s the same for Reece, Levi and Trev. It's great to have that understanding.
Reece is a role model for me. He’s come through Cobham, plays the same position as me, and is now club captain. He is someone you can go to and he will give you his knowledge; it's the same with Levi and Trev. They can relate to your situation because they will probably have gone through it too.
I’ve watched Reece and Malo a lot in training this season because they’ve been used in a similar role to me. Coming into the midfield, I don’t think it’s something I’ve done since I was with the Under-14s, but I have enjoyed it.
I try not to overthink things. In my first Premier League game against Crystal Palace, I came out and the camera was right in my face. That was a moment where I was like ‘woah, what’s going on here?’ but I didn’t let it affect me and got on with playing my game.
People have asked me if I felt pressure, but it’s not really like that. If I’ve got the chance to play for Chelsea, I’m going to enjoy the experience and try to play my game. I don’t want to change because the cameras are on me or because everyone knows the players up against me.
I think my performances have got better through the year. Physically, I feel stronger and the Conference League was great because it helped me establish myself and I got a lot of senior minutes. Then winning the final and lifting the trophy, that is definitely my best moment in a Chelsea shirt. No doubt.
And, hopefully, there will be many more like that in the future.
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