Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has labeled newcomer Estevão Willian a “special player” and assured fans and media that the young star won’t be getting ahead of himself despite his recent success.
Since his summer arrival at Stamford Bridge, the 18-year-old Brazilian, who joined from Palmeiras, has been in impressive form. His impact was immediate and memorable, highlighted by a dramatic, late winning goal against Liverpool—his first in the Premier League.
He followed up that performance by netting his debut Champions League goal on Wednesday as Chelsea routed Ajax 5-1.Maresca praised the young forward’s attitude, emphasizing that his mindset is perfectly suited to handle the pressure of success.
“With young players, most of the time you can be a little bit worried because if they play one or two games well and they score, they think that they are already top players,” the Italian boss explained after the Ajax match.
“The good thing about Estevão is that we don’t need to be worried about that.”Maresca stressed that the player possesses the necessary grounding: “He’s very humble, he’s very polite, and he wants to work hard. He also has a fantastic family; they are very close to him.
“The manager concluded by saying the club has no concerns about the teenager: “For me, personally, he’s fantastic because he’s a special player, but you don’t have to be worried.”