Pundit hails ‘crucial’ Chelsea star who has ‘really strong relationship’ with Potter

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Left-back Ben Chilwell is going to be crucial to Graham Potter’s success at Chelsea.

That is the view of former Aston Villa and Liverpool attacker Stan Collymore, who believes Chilwell and Potter have sparked a ‘really strong relationship’ with the England international emerging as a surprising ally for the ex-Brighton boss.

Potter has only been in charge of the Blues for six months but the Englishman’s time in London has already been a rollercoaster.

Struggling to get his side to string any kind of consistency together, the former Seagulls’ boss, who has been heavily backed by billionaire owner Todd Boehly, has already looked on the brink of being sacked several times. However, a recent upturn in results, including wins against Borussia Dortmund, Leeds United and Leicester City has seen the pressure ease on the 47-year-old.

Scoring during Chelsea’s recent 3-1 win against Brendan Rodgers’ struggling Foxes, Chilwell’s strike not only saw him celebrate at the expense of his former club but also embrace Potter.

And speaking about the pair’s relationship and how important Chilwell’s presence in the dressing room could be to his manager, Collymore, who spoke in an exclusive interview, said: “Judging by how close they look, it seems Ben Chilwell has emerged as one of Potter’s most trusted allies in the dressing room.

“I think Chilwell is a good enough professional to be able to command a certain level of respect from the experienced players in the squad, the new arrivals and the youngsters, so I expect him to be a crucial figure in Potter’s tenure at Stamford Bridge.

“The way they embrace each other after a good result and performance tells me that they have a really strong relationship too, and that is vital to a manager who is trying to build a competitive squad.”

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