New Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma has said Jose Mourinho joked about how old he really looked after the youngster opened the lid on the jokeful nature of the Chelsea squad.
The defender joined last January from St Ettiene, and was loaned back to the French club for the remainder of the season. He then joined up with Chelsea for good from pre-season in July.
At just 19 years-old, Zouma has a huge physical presence which makes him stand out for his age, and he claims Mourinho was quick to dish out the jokes.
“The coach, when we were going for the blood test jokingly said, ‘Here, now we’ll see if you lied about your age’.”
Zouma also mentioned that it’s not just Mourinho that joins in with the fun.
“Diego Costa is very, very crazy. Ivanovic makes a lot of jokes too.
“Afterwards the group laugh a little about my age because, well, I’m a big man for 19-years-old.”
The defender understands that he’ll have to bide his time for an appearance at Chelsea, but claims he’s matured since the move.
“When I was at Saint-Etienne and I didn’t play, I immediately got upset. But I learnt.”
“Now there are senior players, stars in my position, and they are doing a great job. I take my time. I am learning besides those defenders. I know my time will come.”
Zouma will now compete with Gary Cahill, John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic in a strong looking Chelsea line up this season, as they look to regain the Premier League title after a few years away from Stamford Bridge.
Written by Matthew Derrig
