Demba Ba has claimed that motivation has not been a problem for him this season despite it being a difficult one for him at Chelsea.
Ba has found himself well down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge following Jose Mourinho’s return last summer for a second spell. Team mates Fernanado Torres and Samuel Eto’o have often been favoured for both domestic and European competitions, despite Ba recently scoring some key goals against PSG, Swansea and Liverpool.
Ba admits he has found it difficult at times to handle life on the sidelines, but claims he has always tried to remain positive and give it his all whenever he does have time on the pitch.
He told the Daily Telegraph: “I’ve had some tough periods but, at the end of the day, I know that football is what I love doing.
“I don’t really need motivation to play. It’s always good for a player to be on the field, rather than on the sidelines.
“It’s difficult because any time you’re going to get your chance, you’re not as fit as you should be because you don’t have the tempo of the game.
“The less you play it’s difficult so mentally you need to be prepared to give everything, more than what you have.”
Mourinho has made it clear this season that he isn’t happy with his striking options, and will look to strengthen that area this summer, but Ba insists he isn’t overly worried about the prospect of arriving competition.
He added: “Compared to what I’ve lived in my life, what I’ve been through, this is nothing. This is like, this is nothing.
“I know myself and when people think I’m not good enough or I’m weak or whatever, I know myself.”
Ba’s relaxed attitude is shared by team-mate Eden Hazard, the recently crowned PFA Young Player of the Year and a talent those around him at Chelsea consider to be a bit special.
Ba said of the Belgian forward: “Hazard is a nice kind, you know, I like him.
“I’m five years older than him so for me he’s like my little brother, and I just want to take care of him.
“Obviously he’s a great talent. Something I love in Eden is that he just has his head on the ground and he knows he’s a big player, he knows he’s one of the best in Chelsea and probably the world, but he’s still simple and I just want him to stay like that.”
By Ben Kelly
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