Callum Hudson-Odoi opens up on Chelsea exit in honest message amid playing style admission
Former Chelsea star Callum Hudson-Odoi has opened up on his start at Nottingham Forest, and how moving away from his childhood club has changed his style of football over the past two seasons.
The 22-year-old made 126 appearances for the Blues over just four seasons, becoming an integral part of teams under numerous managers including Maurizio Sarri, Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel. However, amid injuries and managerial changes, he slowly fell down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge until he was totally shunned from the dressing room.
That shunning came in the form of a loan move out to Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen where he made just 14 league appearances in an underwhelming season under Xabi Alonso. While Leverkusen would enjoy relative success having qualified for the Europa League with a sixth-place finish, Hudson-Odoi played little to no part in it, with a lone goal contribution in the Champions League to show for his efforts.
Despite a tough season, he returned to England with renewed confidence and, following a permanent move away from Chelsea in the summer transfer window, has hit the ground running for Steve Cooper's side following a goal against Burnley on his debut.
«The Chelsea situation, the loan, now Forest — all in 12 months. I've had to mature very quickly, responsibility comes with this,» he admitted to Sky Sports. «Sometimes you might be down, that's normal.
»But I've learned you have to be yourself, be strong and cope with whatever comes your way. I feel like I'm starting to feel at home in Nottingham now. I know my way around the city. The roads are quiet, there's no traffic! London, it's so busy."
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