Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga admits he has found it difficult becoming a number two goalkeeper at Chelsea.
Kepa was signed by the Blues on a big-money deal from Athletic Club in 2018, but since then, he has failed to convince.
A mistake-filled spell working under Frank Lampard saw Kepa fall out of favour, and after new signing Edouard Mendy took the Premier League by storm, there has been no way back.
The Basque stopper is now firmly number two at Stamford Bridge under Thomas Tuchel, both in the Premier League and Champions League, and that has also cost him Spain call-ups.
Kepa wasn’t called up for Euro 2020 and he hasn’t made the recent World Cup qualifiers with David de Gea and Brighton’s Robert Sanchez deputising for first choice Unai Simon.
The adjustment to life as a number two has been difficult for Kepa, and in a recent interview with the Chelsea website, he opened up. on the experience.
“It’s not easy when you’re not playing, everybody wants to play, but the best way I’m trying to do it is push every day hard,” he said.
“Just push yourself every day in the training and be positive. I know sometimes it is not easy, but you have to be very strong mentally.
“When I have the opportunity, like in the cups, or like I did in the league against Tottenham, when I come in I do my best to take the opportunity and give everything to make the manager have a hard decision.”
