“I liked watching Man United growing up” – Chelsea star reveals Reds legend inspiration

Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell has admitted that he liked to watch rivals Manchester United growing up and named two club legends in an all-time top-five Premier League full-back list.

Chilwell, 26, moved to Stamford Bridge from Leicester City in the summer of 2020 and is now the vice-captain at the West London side.

Chelsea and United’s rivalry ignited in the mid-2000s when Jose Mourinho made his name in England with his success in the capital. However, Chilwell has explained that he enjoyed watching the Old Trafford side as a child.

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At the time, Patrice Evra was flying down the left flank for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side and the Chelsea man stated that he watched the Frenchman ‘pretty closely’ during his youth as he named Evra in his top five Premier League full-back list.

“Patrice Evra. I used to like watching United games growing up and as a full-back, and as a left-back in particular, I used to watch his game pretty closely,’ the defender told the Premier League’s official website.

“I liked the way that he played. Up and down, very adventurous. He seemed like a natural winger.”

Chilwell is currently playing a similar role as a wing-back in Mauricio Pochettino’s system at Chelsea. He is often seen as the furthest forward on the left side of the attack.

Another full-back from United that Chilwell appreciates is current Sky Sports pundit and club legend Gary Neville.

The defender, who won 11 Premier League titles with The Reds, is often overlooked in debates nowadays as the role of the position has changed, however, Chilwell highlighted his leadership as a key reason why he chose him in his top five list.

“Gary Neville. He got endless Premier Leagues, won a lot of trophies with Man United. Seemed like a leader on the pitch, a leader off the pitch. Seemed like a real professional,” added the Chelsea full-back.