EXCLUSIVE
‘I’m very, very happy’ – Benoit Badiashile opens up after £35million Chelsea transfer as he heaps praise on Todd Boehly’s vision, Blues fans, Thiago Silva and high-profile signings
Benoit Badiashile has already endeared himself to the Chelsea fans through his impressive debut against Crystal Palace.
The 21-year-old joined the Blues earlier this month from Monaco in a £35million deal on a contract until 2030.
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And he finally got his chance in last Sunday's 1-0 victory against the Eagles at Stamford Bridge.
The French centre-back will now be looking for a continued run in the starting XI as he looks to help the west London outfit climb the Premier League table.
His manager, Graham Potter, could decide to partner him once again alongside Thiago SIlva for Saturday's crunch clash against Liverpool in Merseyside, which is live on talkSPORT.
Badiashile has lauded Brazilian veteran Silva, where he has declared it is an 'honour' to play with the 38-year-old.
And the two-cap Les Bleus international has insisted he is striving to keep performing well for the fans, who have shown him nothing but love since his arrival.
Here's what Badiashile had to say about all things Chelsea in an exclusive interview with talkSPORT.
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How did you find your first taste of English football?
"I'm very, very happy. It's an honour to wear the shirt of this famous club Chelsea.
"I thought I put in a reasonable performance, but the main thing is I played quite well, and I was happy because we got the win and the clean sheet, and that's the main thing.
"It's going to help us get on the road to winning things hopefully."
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What attracted you to Chelsea, and what role did Graham Potter have in your decision?
"The main reason that I came to Chelsea is that they've got such an exciting project.
"I'm really looking forward to the future, the plans for the future are really positive.
"They've obviously shown they have a huge faith in youngsters and it's a good club to progress as a youngster.
"It's a project that convinced me as soon as we talked about it.
"I didn't get a chance to speak to Graham Potter throughout the process until after I joined."
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What are your goals for the rest of the season?
"The general thing is to help grow the club as much as possible.
"In a big club like this you always want to win as many trophies as you can, and the first thing we can start to do is try and climb up the league a little bit more.
"We aren't in the best of positions right now, so we need to win as many games as possible between now and the end of the season really."
What do you make of Chelsea's lavish spending spree since the change in ownership?
"My main priority is to work hard and keep on improving myself as a player and try and do my best for the club so we win stuff.
"Obviously talking about the owners, he [Todd Boehly] wants to improve Chelsea, it's down to him. It's his choice in terms of what they want to do with their money.
"And if it's to improve the club, then fantastic."
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Do you feel as though you have pressure in justifying your £35million price tag?
"I don't feel pressure at all to be honest with you.
"We're still playing football, this is what the main thing here is.
"It's all about playing football, that's what I've got to concentrate on, I'm in a great position here.
"I can learn from the players that I train and play alongside that I mix with every day and rub shoulders with.
"There are some fantastic players here, I can learn and I can improve and grow as a player and that's what I'm concentrating on really."
What is it like playing alongside Thiago Silva, and what do you hope to learn from him?
"First and foremost, it's a real honour to play alongside him.
"And do you know what, for a young player like me, he's someone that makes things easy.
"He's a legend, isn't he? He's a real leader, he's very, very experienced of course.
"Any of the advice that he gives me is always welcome, he's advised me not only when we've been playing - he's spoken to me during the game.
"But also before the game and in training as well. So he's someone that you can only learn alongside.
"And as I say, it's an absolute honour to line up alongside him."
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Do you wish to emulate the likes of Marcel Desailly, William Gallas and Frank Leboeuf at Chelsea?
"For sure they had great careers, and they are players that certainly inspire me.
"But you know, every player is different, everybody has their own destiny, every footballer has got their own career.
"So while they are there to inspire me, that's it basically."
Can you describe your footballing journey prior to joining Chelsea?
"When I was six, I started playing for Limoges in the youth side.
"And then at the age of eight I started to play for Malesherbes, and then I signed for Monaco at the age of 12.
"I actually moved in there from the age of 15. At 16 I signed my pro terms, and I started playing from the age of 17 at the first team."
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What have you made of the support shown from Chelsea fans after your debut?
"I'm going to try and continue to give them confidence with my performances.
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"But I'm not one for spending time on social media, usually, but I've seen one or two of the positive comments on there.
"So that is something that does give me self belief and encourages me to continue performing well for them."
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