Mauricio Pochettino says Mykhailo Mudryk is a “different person” after beginning to trust the Chelsea coaching staff following a difficult start to life in west London.
Mudryk joined from Shakhtar Donetsk in January for a fee of around £88.5 million and will likely feature against Arsenal this weekend – the other side who contested for his signature during the January transfer window.
Mudryk decided to pick the west of London over the north but struggled to settle into the Chelsea side after joining.
But Mudryk scored his first Chelsea goal against Fulham earlier this month and performed well with Ukraine during the October internationals, scoring a stunning goal and winning a penalty against Malta.
And Pochettino believes Mudryk’s changing fortunes is a result of his response to his coach’s advice and the growth in maturity from the 22-year-old.
Pochettino said: “After three months he is not a completely different player because we are not magic, but he is a different person.
“We are starting to see how lovely this guy is. He is so sensitive and smart. He is so clever. And how important it is to give confidence in life and in life to trust. When people trust they can be open and start to express their talent in football.
“Micha is doing really well in his relationships with the team, the coaching staff, the medical staff, with the club. That is a massive improvement. It is not to give him some exercises or some advice about how to move between the lines or one very one.
“That is part of his talent but the most important is that he can feel confident and happy when you play football because you need to feel connected to the game.’
