Madueke Lauds Maresca's Impact On His Stellar Start At Chelsea

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Noni Madueke is enthusiastic about working under Chelsea's new head coach, Enzo Maresca. The young player, who joined from PSV Eindhoven in 2023, has had a strong start to the Premier League season. He has scored four goals in four matches, including his first professional hat-trick in a 6-2 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers last month.

Madueke credits Maresca for his improved performance this season. Last term, he managed 11 goal involvements with eight goals and three assists across all competitions. However, he feels that Maresca's guidance has elevated his game. "He's a great guy, a good manager, a very good tactician. He's helping me a lot with my game, little details," Madueke told talkSPORT.

The forward appreciates the tactical advice from Maresca that helps him score more and get behind defences more effectively. "Things that you wouldn't necessarily think of yourself," he added. "I always feel like a great manager will say 'this can help you score more' or 'this can help you get in behind more'. Little things that I feel like he's helping me with."

Madueke's impressive form has earned him his first senior England call-up under interim head coach Lee Carsley for the upcoming Nations League fixtures. He has been a key player for England's Under-21 side, making more appearances than any other player except Taylor Harwood-Bellis during Carsley's tenure.

Despite this achievement, Madueke insists his primary focus remains on performing well for Chelsea. "Not so much England, more so because I had a new coach at Chelsea and you want to impress your new coach at your club," he said. "Every time I get the chance to play for Chelsea, it's such a massive club, I feel like it's a thing of pride."

Competition at Chelsea

Last season, Madueke made just 13 starts in the Premier League and faces stiff competition again this year. Chelsea signed eleven new players during the transfer window, with Pedro Neto posing the biggest challenge for Madueke’s position on the right wing.

However, Madueke welcomes the competition and sees it as an opportunity to improve. "If you want to play for one of the top clubs in the world, you're going to have to deal with competition," he stated. "That's not something you should shy away from; that's something you should just take head-on."

"If you believe you're a good player, you want to be around good players because it increases your level," he continued. "You don't want to feel like you're going to play every week and can just cruise through because that allows you to drop your standards a little bit."

The forward believes that having many talented players at Chelsea enhances training quality and overall team performance on match days.

Madueke is determined to make the most of every opportunity at Chelsea and continue improving his game under Maresca’s guidance.