Having grown into a leadership role within the squad, Ben Chilwell believes that if Chelsea can continue to show the same consistency that served us well at the end of the season then we can soon bring silverware back to Stamford Bridge.

Ben Chilwell was one of several Chelsea players who had his 2023/24 campaign disrupted by injury, limiting his opportunities to make an impact on the pitch and making it difficult for the Blues to find a consistent line-up over the course of the season.

At times that was reflected in the team’s performances, as despite some impressive results, we struggled to show our full potential on a regular basis. There were clear signs of improvement in the closing stages of our campaign, though, as five Premier League wins in a row led to us securing European football for next season.

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It is those performances that Chilwell is focusing on, knowing if we can show the same form from the start of next season, the quality at our disposal will make the Blues genuine contenders for silverware.

‘It was kind of the question mark the whole season, us having that consistency as a team,’ he said. ‘I think that, especially in the last month, it looked like it had turned a corner, which is massive because we know inside the changing room that on our day we can beat anyone.

‘The squad we've got is world class, we just needed that consistency. If we can try and get that, the sky's the limit with this group. It's normal. This is a new team that has been put together, with a lot of players that hadn’t played in this league before.

‘Of course we need to win matches, but realistically it was maybe going to be a bit of an inconsistent season, just due to those circumstances. It looks like, consistency-wise, we started to turn a corner and I think that is a massive confidence boost for us, going into next season.’

‘Next season I want to win trophies with Chelsea. I'm fortunate enough to be one of the players here that's won trophies here before and I want the other players to be able to experience that as well. That's the next step that this group needs to take.’


Those previous triumphs arrived when Chilwell was part of the squad which won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup in quick succession. He was one of just four players from that side who were also part of the team last season, which is now down to three following the departure of Thiago Silva.

As such, the left-back feels a responsibility to use that experience to help the younger members of the current squad, with many playing in English football for the first time, and it is a role he his beginning to enjoy, even if he admits it was initially unfamiliar to him.

‘My role here has evolved a lot,’ Ben explains. ‘When I joined I was 23 years old and probably one of the younger players in the squad. So I went onto the pitch with a bit more freedom, because I had the older, experienced players around me who were guiding me.


‘But now I'm the one welcoming new lads and that has been good for me personally and it’s good to grow that way as a footballer with the leadership side of things. Last season especially I tried to guide the younger players on and off the pitch, talking more in meetings, at half-time, before games, after games.

‘I’m just being more of a vocal character and trying to guide our ship a bit more. It’s definitely been something that has helped me grow as an individual and as a player, 100 per cent.’

Chilwell’s experience and leadership will be important when preparations begin for the 2024/25 campaign during a pre-season tour of the USA, when he will hope to help lay the foundations for a trophy-winning season for Chelsea.

Chelsea’s USA Tour 2024