Olivier Giroud says God told him to stay at Chelsea – and admits he’s feeling strain of training coronavirus-style
OLIVIER GIROUD admits his body is feeling the strain of training coronavirus-style. Chelsea’s French striker also reckons Divine intervention meant he signed a new one year deal to stay at the club. Giroud, 33, is getting into the swing of training and twice weekly virus tests after agreeing to extend his contract. The World Cup […]
OLIVIER GIROUD admits his body is feeling the strain of training coronavirus-style.
Chelsea’s French striker also reckons Divine intervention meant he signed a new one year deal to stay at the club.
Giroud, 33, is getting into the swing of training and twice weekly virus tests after agreeing to extend his contract.
The World Cup winner said: “There are quite a lot of differences.
‘We’ve been working in groups of five and then we need to maintain a two-metre minimum social distance between each other, meaning no contact.
“Something else that’s changed compared to usual pre-seasons is that we only get 15 minutes of treatment after training.
“Normally in pre-season, you’re very demanding with your muscles and use them a lot, especially when you haven’t been training for over two months.
“Muscles strain and creak but we respect the rules from the Government and the Premier League.
“I’ll admit that if I could have more care and treatment to look after my body, it would be better.
“We’re working hard and it really feels good to be back on the pitch, to get to see team-mates again and to simply be playing football, kicking the ball and scoring goals again.
“I’d really missed it a lot. That being said, it’s very unique but it’s fine and spirits are high.’
“‘For all the running alone, nothing replaces being on the pitch – direction changes, accelerations, stop-and-go moves. Almost all my team-mates got blisters after resuming training but it’s pure joy to be back on the pitch.”
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Giroud was often third-choice striker behind Tammy Abraham and Michy Batshuayi earlier this season and looked likely to quit Chelsea in January.
He spoke to boss Frank Lampard regarding his international ambitions with France at Euro 2020 and how lack of game time was affecting them.
But with the tournament postponed until next summer now the pressure is off for the time being.
Giroud said: “‘I very nearly left the club but I really think that God wanted me to stay at Chelsea.
“I was supposed to leave in the January transfer window because I wasn’t playing much and I needed more game time to make the France squad for Euro 2020.
“The manager told me that he couldn’t let me leave because he didn’t have anyone to replace me.
“Everyone knows what happened so I won’t go back over it but the coach spoke to me privately and told me that he’d give more games.
“He kept his word and what then mattered to me was proving to him that he could count on me when I was called upon.
“I simply seized my opportunity and I repaid the faith that the manager had shown in me.
“That’s why the club ultimately offered me the chance to continue my time at Chelsea and I accepted immediately because I like it here.
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“I want to keep winning trophies and I want to continue to show the manager that he can count on me.
“Plus, with the whole coronavirus lockdown situation, I didn’t really feel comfortable with the idea of moving abroad and uprooting my family.
“I think a lot about our quality of life and we have a great setup here. I think a lot about my family now.”