Maluda: Gittens has talent, and a young player like him should be fearless
According to The Athletic, Chelsea former player Maluda was interviewed and talked about Gittens's topic. ,
Note: Maluda performed poorly when he first arrived at Chelsea, but he later became one of the core players of the Blues. On the individual level, Maluda made 229 appearances for Chelsea, contributed 45 goals and 39 assists; in terms of team honors, he won five trophies with Chelsea, including the "double champion" of the Premier League and the FA Cup in 2010, and the Champions League championship two years later. In July this year, Gittens joined Chelsea from Dortmund for £48.5 million, but his career at Stamford Bridge has not started as he wished. The left winger has only been on the team's starting list three times so far and has become the latest member of the "007 Club" mentioned by social media trolls - the term used to describe players who have neither scored nor assisted in the first seven games after joining.
Maluda contributed only 2 goals and 1 assist to Chelsea in his first season in the Premier League. Like Gitens today, he also heard complaints and boos from the fans on the scene. Maluda said: "You should not be influenced by these voices. Those people are your fans and have the right to express your feelings. If you play for a club like Chelsea, you may encounter this situation at home and away. You must be able to withstand this pressure and understand that they just want you to perform the best. The fans' reaction is not to make you perform worse, but to convey an expectation to you, and you need to understand this expectation."
"How did I win the support of the fans? It depends on the solid relationship established based on 'investment'. I devote myself to working for the club. There are rumors about me in every transfer window, but I always fight for the team, fight for the club, and strive to win the trust of the fans. The reason why the fans responded was because they saw my true love for the club and I tried my best to fight for the club. I had performed well in important Champions League nights, Premier League and the FA Cup, and people thought I was a reliable player. "
Maluda continued: "This is a learning process. When you join a club like Chelsea at such a young age, you must gradually build confidence, which is part of the growth process. Gitens has talent, and the key is how to play at this level (the event). Young players like him should be fearless, and this is the only way out."