Nicolas Jackson Finds Stress Relief in Benzema and Kane Amid Chelsea Pressure – Sends Plea to Legend Didier Drogba
“The 22-year-old, signed from Villarreal for £30 million in the summer, was given the challenging role of becoming Chelsea’s new No.9. However, he swiftly gained a reputation for inefficiency in front of goal.”
A challenging start at Stamford Bridge for Jackson was highlighted by an altercation with a Chelsea fan in October, reflecting his struggle to find form.
Despite scoring twice in his initial nine games, a late hat-trick against a nine-man Tottenham side in November merely masked the underlying issues.
Departing for AFCON, doubts arose among Blues supporters about his suitability to lead the team’s struggling attack.
However, since his return, there has been a notable shift. Jackson played a pivotal role in Chelsea’s two standout performances this season: the 3-1 FA Cup victory against Aston Villa and the 1-1 draw against Manchester City in the Premier League.
Despite squandering another golden opportunity at the Etihad Stadium, Jackson, operating in isolation, disrupted the City defense and played a key role in creating Raheem Sterling’s goal.
Faced with a roster of underwhelming Chelsea strikers, including Andriy Shevchenko, Fernando Torres, Hernan Crespo, Gonzalo Higuain, and Alvaro Morata, Jackson acknowledges the daunting challenge of playing up front for the Blues.
Speaking to talkSPORT, he expressed the difficulty, saying, “It’s not easy. If you think of all the strikers that came here, you would not want to come here. If you think about the strikers that come here, and people say they’re not good enough, you would think, ‘There is no need for me to come here’.”
I was raised to embrace challenges, disregard external opinions, prioritize teamwork, contribute to the team’s success, and maintain positive relationships with players, coaches, and everyone involved.
Jackson shared, “There are times when I fall asleep replaying the same videos, constantly reflecting on how I could have performed better.”
Nicolas Jackson on Karim Benzema
In my youth, I admired Karim Benzema playing for Real Madrid, even during times when he missed numerous chances.
Witnessing him later winning the Ballon d’Or taught me not to be discouraged. I acknowledge I’m not at that level now, but I’ve seen such transformations before.
I focus on daily improvement and trust in the guidance of my mentor, Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino, known for shaping players like Harry Kane into world-class performers.
Speaking about Pochettino and the parallels with Kane, the Chelsea player mentioned, “It’s consistent advice.
I don’t know what he told Harry, but he’s telling me the same things. Keep going, learn from misses, and it will become easier with improvement and experience.
He supports me, and we all rally for him and the team.
