Watford midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah: "Chelsea is in the past now"

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 29 August 2017

Watford midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah intends to 'stay focused' in order to prove that his decision to leave Chelsea for regular first-team football was the right one.

Nathaniel Chalobah has admitted that he is keen to draw a line under his time at Chelsea after kickstarting his career with a switch to Watford.

The 22-year-old has been rewarded for his decision to seek regular first-team football elsewhere after being named in Gareth Southgate's latest England senior squad for games against Malta and Slovakia.

Chalobah, who spent time on loan at six different clubs while on the Blues' books, insists that he holds no grudges against his former club but was happy to move on this summer in order prove himself in the Premier League.

"Everyone knows Chelsea is very difficult," he told reporters. "Chelsea is a world-class club with world-class players, it was difficult for me to get in the team. As always I tried to stay focused and concentrated. Chelsea is in the past now.

"Now I've moved to Watford I've got the opportunity to try to showcase myself. Things are going well at the club for me at the minute. I'm just trying to keep my head down and stay focused and hopefully try and get many more call-ups.

"Everyone feels pressure in some way, but for me it's just about keeping my head down and staying focused. Things are going to be said, you're going to be praised, the media might try and kill you sometimes, but it's part and parcel of football."

Chalobah has started all three of Watford's Premier League games this season, lasting the full 90 minutes in two of them and playing 89 in the other.