Former Chelsea goalkeeper Rob Green has come to the rescue of under-fire Kepa Arrizabalaga. He compared Kepa’s tough start to life in the Premier League to that of De Gea’s at Manchester United.
Kepa joined Chelsea in the summer of 2018 for £71.6 million (€80 million) and became the most expensive goalkeeper in the world. He signed a seven-year contract at the Stamford Bridge and became the number one choice under new manager Sarri. However, due to some inconsistent performances earlier this year, he was benched by manager Lampard.
Despite the Spaniard getting playing time before the suspension of football, the Blues are reportedly in the market for a goalkeeper. Rob Green, who worked as Kepa’s deputy last season has come to his defence and has insisted that the Spaniard’s best is yet to come.
“Kepa’s brilliant with his feet. It’s one of those ones where he was always going to have a little downturn in form because he played so many games [54] last season,” Rob told talkSPORT.
“But he had that little spell out of the team this season and then came back in the FA Cup and got man of the match against Liverpool, which might have done him a favour, just mentally.
“I think because of the price tag the expectation has been far greater. Everyone’s been waxing lyrical about Henderson [who is on loan] at Sheffield United, Kepa’s not that much older than him [23].
“But because there’s this huge price tag on his shoulders, you’re thinking that he’s the finished article. I wasn’t the finished article at 25 as a goalkeeper and I don’t think Kepa is either.”
Former English International Rob Green also compared Kepa’s tough start to fellow Spaniard De Gea. De Gea joined Manchester United from Atletico Madrid in 2011 for £18.9m. He was dropped by United’s former manager Sir Alex Ferguson due to inconsistent performances. Since then, De Gea has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
“Kepa’s got a long-term contract at Chelsea and I’d like to see him there,” Green added. “It’s a bit like how David de Gea was at the start of his United career.
“He was absolutely destroyed at the start and now it’s one of the best things that’s happened to him in the last decade.”
Rob Green started his career at Norwich City and has played most of his games for the Canaries followed by West Ham. He last started a game in the 2017-18 season for Leeds in the Championship. Since then, he changed his club twice but didn’t make a single appearance. Last year, he announced his retirement from football after spending one year as the 3rd choice goalkeeper for the Blues.
