On the eve of the upcoming friendly match between Chelsea and Manchester City at 5:30am BST on Sunday, Chelsea defender Adarabioyo spoke to talkSPORT to share his thoughts on manager Maresca, as well as his role in the team and the competitive environment he faces.
Thoughts on Maresca
Adarabioyo spoke highly of Maresca, describing him as a manager with a great personality who is able to maintain a good relationship with all the players and show a high level of professionalism and strictness in training. "He has a very good personality and all the players get on well with him." Adarabioyo said, "He jokes sometimes but demands a lot from us, which keeps us tense and excited in training." He also revealed an interesting tidbit, "Although I'm not sure if I've ever joked with him, there was a time when I was recovering from an ice bath and he suddenly came up to me and threw ice water on me, it was just a little joke with the players to lighten up the atmosphere."
Role in the team and competition for the center back position
Speaking on his role in the team, Adarabioyo said he is a player who learns and absorbs experience. "I like to learn from a lot of defenders like Van Dyke, Ramos, Stones, Terry, Ferdinand and other legendary defenders, and I try to incorporate those experiences into my game to improve my performance."
He also spoke candidly about the fierce competition in the team for the center-back position. "Playing for a top club like Chelsea, every position is full of competition." Adarabioyo said, "Everyone is very good, we get on well together but are all trying to play at our best. Because there are very limited places to play, you have to work consistently to get the chance to play."
