Chelsea news: Josh Acheampong admits ‘shock’ Enzo Maresca knew him

Chelsea defender Josh Acheampong has admitted his “shock” that manager Enzo Maresca knew him during pre-season.

The Italian prepared a dossier when interviewing for the Chelsea job last summer which included an evaluation of every player in the first team and academy sides.

After his appointment, Maresca called up academy players Acheampong and Tyrique George for a pre-season tour in the United States, and the pair were promoted to senior squad roles on a permanent basis in December.

Asked whether he was surprised Maresca knew him, Acheampong said: “Yes. I remember the first day. I was like, ‘Hi, I’m Josh’, and he was like, ‘I know who you are’.

“So it was a bit of a shock, but it was good. He’s really positive. He gives me a lot of encouragement.”

“When I first joined up with the team, he told me what he wants from me, what I can improve on, what I do well.

“It was a good experience, being in the States, playing in big stadiums. It was kind of like the start of the journey.”

Maresca has repeatedly said he “loves” Acheampong, first when the club exiled the defender from the first team during contract negotiations, until he signed a new five-year deal in December.

Acheampong admits he got a “bit of stick” over it, but added: “It was really good to hear, to be fair. It gave me a lot of confidence.”

The 19-year-old has featured in seven of Chelsea’s 12 games in the Conference League this season and hopes to play a part in Wednesday’s final against Real Betis in Wroclaw.

He said the tournament has served as a “stepping stone into men’s football”, adding: “Hopefully we can go all the way.”