Sheva snubs Italy to star for Phil
Sheva snubs Italy to star for Phil
10:36, 16.07.2008
1 min.
Andriy Shevchenko is staying put at Chelsea – despite attempts to lure him back to Italy. Sampdoria want to sign the Ukraine skipper on loan, but Shevchenko is determined to have another go...
Andriy Shevchenko is staying put at Chelsea – despite attempts to lure him back to Italy.
Sampdoria want to sign the Ukraine skipper on loan, but Shevchenko is determined to have another go at proving himself at Stamford Bridge.
Starsport revealed how the 31-year-old started work with a personal trainer a week early in a bid to ensure he starts the campaign fit and sharp.
Видео дня
And new boss Big Phil Scolari has promised the 2004 European Footballer of the Year a fresh chance to shine in his third season in the Premier League.
Despite Shevchenko’s reputation as a £30m flop following his move from AC Milan, Scolari has beenat pains to point out the striker’s record suggests otherwise.
The new Stamford Bridge boss said: “Last season he made 12 starts and scored eight.
“Yes, he is a player for Chelsea. If I see him in training and if I believe in him, I will put him on the field.”
Owner Roman Abramovich is desperate to see his friend – whose signing he personally instigated – regain the form which saw him rated one of the deadliest strikers in Europe.
Abramovich was unhappy at Shevchenko’s treatment by former boss Jose Mourinho and his successor Avram Grant, who both regularly left him on the bench.
It is thought Grant’s decision not to put Shevchenko on the pitch in the Champions League Final against Manchester United was a key factor in the Israeli’s dismissal.
Now the former Dynamo Kiev ace will be given a fair crack of the whip by Scolari.
A source close to Shevchenko confirmed last night: “He is training with the team and going nowhere.”
Also set to stay with Chelsea is full-back Wayne Bridge, who has signed a new four-year deal despite having had limited first-team opportunities.
The England full-back had been linked with Portsmouth, whose boss Harry Redknapp has now turned his attentions to Reading’s Nicky Shorey and Tottenham’s Younes Kaboul.
