New Chelsea signing Joao Pedro has quickly won over former Premier League forward Emile Heskey.
Chelsea bought Pedro from Brighton & Hove Albion at the start of the month, and it has not taken long for the 23-year-old to make an impact.
In the three appearances that Pedro made at the Club World Cup, he managed to score three goals, including one in the final against Paris Saint-Germain.
Pedro has since been praised by Jamie O’Hara and other ex-footballers, such as Heskey. However, the retired England international has admitted that he did have one concern about him.
Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty ImagesEmile Heskey questioned whether Joao Pedro would fit into Chelsea’s system
Pedro’s adaptation at Chelsea has been seamless. It looks as if the Brazilian has been playing under Enzo Maresca for years.
That was a concern that Heskey had, whether Pedro would be able to fit into this Chelsea team. It is a doubt that has now been firmly thrown out of the window.
In an interview with DAZN, the former Liverpool and Leicester City striker said: “Cole Palmer has been outstanding, and the player they just bought, Joao Pedro, looks good too.
“It’s always interesting when a new player comes in, because you know they’re good, but you’re not sure whether they will fit into the system. He’s done well though, and he’s giving them something different with his movement and energy.”
Palmer grabbed Chelsea’s other goals in the Club World Cup final as they went on to beat PSG 3-0.
Pedro spoke about Palmer after that victory, sharing how his teammate has been a great help to him in training.
Photo by Luke Hales/Getty ImagesEmile Heskey makes honest Chelsea admission after Club World Cup triumph
No one expected Chelsea to go all the way in the Club World Cup, let alone beat PSG 3-0 in the final.
Luis Enrique’s side were the best team in Europe last season, winning the Champions League after hammering Inter Milan 5-0 in Munich.
Heskey is one individual who was not expecting Chelsea to do so well in the competition. In the same interview with DAZN, he said: “Chelsea impressed me. I hope it doesn’t reflect badly on me, but I never expected them to get that far, or to go all the way.”
It will now be interesting to see how far this young Chelsea side can go under Maresca. Chelsea will be aiming for a top-four finish again next season, but some will be expecting more than that after what they have just accomplished in the US.