Chelsea defender Levi Colwill has showered praise on teammate Mykhailo Mudryk, backing him to prove his mettle after he finally got off the mark for the Blues.
Mudryk, who joined the Stamford Bridge outfit for a $73.28 million fee from Shakhtar Donetsk in January, started in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Fulham on Monday night (October 2).
In the 18th minute, Colwill found Mudryk inside the Fulham box with a clever delivery. The Ukrainian brought the ball down, and then calmly slotted it past the onrushing Bernd Leno. With the strike, the winger finally found the back of the net for the Pensioners, ending a 24-game dry run. The goal is bound to give the 22-year-old confidence in the face of the harsh criticism he has faced so far.
A minute after Mudryk, Armando Broja got on the scoresheet, putting the visitors 2-0 up at Craven Cottage. The hosts tried to recover but ultimately fell to a 2-0 defeat in their own backyard.
Colwill Showes Praise On Chelsea Teammate Mudryk
Speaking to the press after the game, Colwill praised Mudryk, backing him to show his qualities.
The 20-year-old said (via Irish News):
“It was amazing, I’m so happy for him (Mudryk), luckily I found him.
“Of course, he deserves the goal. He’s a great player, he could be one of the best in the world and he needs to kick on from here and hopefully he can push on.”
He added:
“It’s been tough for him since he joined but during the first half he was amazing and I think everyone can see the qualities he has. We see it all the time in training, he’s such a good player.
“To come here and bring it for the first half was amazing and he has to build from it. He’s got everything. Everything you want as a winger. It’s tough coming from Ukraine to Chelsea and it’s a pressure he might not have experienced with the different culture too. So it’s always going to be tough but soon we’ll see the player he is.”
Mudryk’s Numbers Against Fulham
Before going off with a niggle at half-time, Mudryk played a pretty decent game. He won two of three ground duels, drew a foul, and made a recovery against Fulham. Given how eager he looked in and around the penalty area, the left-winger could have had another goal had he managed to stay on in the second half.
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