Chelsea star Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's true feelings clear ahead of Leicester City return
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has already revealed that he will not celebrate if he plays and scores against boyhood club Leicester City for Chelsea this weekend.
The midfielder completed a £30 million move to Stamford Bridge in the summer. The transfer saw him follow manager Enzo Maresca who joined from Leicester a few weeks before.
Both Dewsbury-Hall and Maresca will return to the King Power Stadium for the first time since their exits on Saturday as the two teams meet in the Premier League. While Maresca’s association with the Foxes lasted for just a year, it will be a more emotional occasion for Dewsbury-Hall who came up through the academy at the club.
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Speaking back in the summer, he made a vow about his return to Leicester. “If I score against them I won't celebrate,” he said. “I wish them the best of luck for this season. I wanted to test myself at the next level.
“This felt like the right time and I wouldn't have left Leicester for a sideways move – it had to be a top move.
“I always knew Chelsea were admirers. When Enzo left Leicester, we were on fantastic terms. I wished him the best of luck and he did the same to me. I never in my head thought: ‘He's going to take me when he goes to a big club.’ I don't think I can be that arrogant.
“But when it came about, I was very happy because it meant I could work under him again and continue to evolve. It was perfect for me. I'm a completely different player now coming back into the Premier League than when I was playing in it before.
“I've evolved, as a player and as a person. I've had the experiences of winning, of dominating games, and understanding football on a different level to what I did before.
“If I made those leaps and bounds in the first year (under Maresca) then I feel excited to see what can happen in the years to come. In football, you can't stagnate, you can't stop learning.”
Dewsbury-Hall’s move to Stamford Bridge has not gone how the player would have hoped so far. The 26-year-old has not made the matchday squad in five of the last six Premier League games, and was an unused substitute for the other.
His last Premier League appearance came as a late substitute in the 3-0 win over West Ham back in September. The lack of game time has led to speculation that he could move away from Chelsea on loan in January, with some Leicester fans on social media speculating that a return to the King Power Stadium could be on the cards.