Ben Guest
Chelsea midfielder Jorginho has denied that he is Maurizio Sarri’s ‘special’ player and is determined to show the Stamford Bridge faithful his qualities.
There has been much criticism for Sarri over his insistence of utilising Jorginho as a defensive midfielder in place of N’Golo Kante, who is widely regarded as one of the best in the world in that position.
While Jorginho initially started his Premier League career in fine form, he has since been targetted by opposition managers, who have man marked the Italy international to minimise his influence on games. However, the midfielder has insisted that he is not receiving special treatment from manager Sarri, with whom he worked at Napoli:
“I’m not special,” Jorginho insisted in an interview with the Sun.
“No, I’m a normal player. I don’t want to be special, it’s not good. It’s perfect to be the same as everyone else. I don’t want to be the special one. Even if they do think I am Sarri’s man, I want to show why Sarri likes me. So I want to show them I am a good player and they are wrong to have that attitude towards me.
“I have a normal relationship with him, a relationship between two professionals. I don’t go out for dinner with him, I don’t go round to his house.
“Our work is very professional and he speaks and explains what he wants me to do, I try to understand that and do my best for the team. I don’t consider myself to be his golden boy. I just think that I am a player who can help him to do the things he wants to do.
“I am just a player like everyone else. He has certainly let me know what he thinks! He has shouted at me, told me I was getting some things wrong… and that is it, I am just a normal player like everyone else.
“I am very calm, because I know how hard I am working and how much effort I am putting in.
“So I accept their views but don’t share them. I respect their opinion and that gives me strength.
“So I listen, I stay calm and work hard and I try to pay them back for their support on the pitch, by trying to do better.
“The fans are entitled to have their opinion of course, to be supporters and to think whatever they like.
“I respect that and it also gives me strength to work more to change their views on me.”