Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall will come up against his former club Leicester City on Saturday lunchtime after leaving for Chelsea over the summer.
The 26-year-old made the switch at the beginning of July and signed an initial five-year contract after Chelsea agreed to pay the Foxes £30m, which helped them comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.
Leicester’s financial situation played a part in Dewsbury-Hall’s exit from the King Power and it saw the midfielder link up with Enzo Maresca, who departed for Chelsea first.
Dewsbury-Hall faces strong competition at Chelsea, with the likes of Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernandez competing for starting roles. Maresca has opted to prefer Dewsbury-Hall in the cup competitions rather than the Premier League so far this term.
He has only played 43 minutes in the league this season, featuring in just one of their last six matchday squads. He was an unused substitute in the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield last month. Should Dewsbury-Hall be involved on Saturday, he has already confirmed he won’t celebrate.
But what did Dewsbury-Hall say following his Leicester departure about why he joined Chelsea?
“I wanted to test myself at the next level,” the Chelsea midfielder said in July. “This felt like the right time and I wouldn’t have left Leicester for a sideways move – it had to be a top move.
“I always knew Chelsea were admirers. When Enzo left Leicester, we were on fantastic terms. I wished him the best of luck and he did the same to me. I never in my head thought: ‘He’s going to take me when he goes to a big club.’ I don’t think I can be that arrogant.
“But when it came about, I was very happy because it meant I could work under him again and continue to evolve. It was perfect for me. I’m a completely different player now coming back into the Premier League than when I was playing in it before. I’ve evolved, as a player and as a person. I’ve had the experiences of winning, of dominating games, and understanding football on a different level to what I did before.
“If I made those leaps and bounds in the first year (under Maresca) then I feel excited to see what can happen in the years to come. In football, you can’t stagnate, you can’t stop learning.”
Dewsbury-Hall will no doubt receive a warm reception from the Leicester fans on Saturday when Chelsea make the trip to the Midlands. Current Leicester boss Steve Cooper acknowledged the affinity and knows many will be happy to welcome him back.
“I know he has a strong affinity to the club and vice-versa,” said Cooper. “He came through the academy here and broke into the first team, he’s a very good player. I’m sure a lot of people will be pleased to see him because of the time he spent here. That will be respected. But I’m sure him and certainly us are focused on the game.”
