Kepa Arrizabalaga: 'David de Gea has offered me advice'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 07 October 2018

Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga thanks Spain international teammate David de Gea for helping him to quickly adapt to English football with his words of advice.

Kepa Arrizabalaga has revealed that Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea has helped him to settle into life at new club Chelsea.

The 24-year-old arrived at Stamford Bridge from Athletic Bilbao in August as part of a £71.6m deal, making him the most expensive keeper in the world.

Kepa has made a positive start to his Chelsea career, keeping six clean sheets in his first 10 outings, and the Spain international says that compatriot De Gea is partly to thank for his form.

"Every player settles into a new league in different ways," he is quoted as saying by Sky Sports News. "David is a teammate with the national team and we get on really well. When I signed for Chelsea, he gave me some advice, telling me a bit about how it was for him when he came here.

"Of course, he has been here for years now and is playing at a fantastic level. We were at the World Cup together and had a good chat about the differences between Spanish and English football.

"It's a good thing to interact with a top goalkeeper who has so much experience in the Premier League. You need a little time, the usual sort of time it takes to get to know your teammates and the league itself, but it's all good generally, I'm very happy."

Kepa's latest clean sheet came in Chelsea's 3-0 win over Southampton on Sunday afternoon, which keeps the Blues in the hunt for a third title in five seasons.