Callum Hudson-Odoi is happy to be playing with a smile on his face once again at loan club Bayer Leverkusen after feeling left with little choice but to leave Chelsea.
The 21-year-old moved to Leverkusen in August for the duration of the 2022-23 campaign after making just 11 Premier League starts under Thomas Tuchel last season.
Hudson-Odoi has already started eight matches for Leverkusen in the Bundesliga and Champions League, operating predominantly as a left-sided attacker.
That is the three-cap England international's preferred position, though he often found himself filling in as a wing-back last term in a move that ultimately left him disillusioned.
"You're not a natural-born wing-back, are you?" Hudson-Odoi reflected on a conversation he held with Tuchel, who has since been replaced by Graham Potter.
"Definitely not! At times, it was okay. But sometimes in my head, I'm thinking, 'What am I doing, why am I in this position? I'm more defending than attacking'.
"No matter where I was playing, I was always trying to do my best and help the team – it's not always about myself. I never argued; I just got on with it."
Hudson-Odoi added in his interview with The Athletic his comments were not intended as a criticism of Tuchel, but more a frustration of his past couple of seasons at Chelsea.
"With so many great players in the team, you have to fight for your position and work your hardest," he said. "It was difficult but you have to get on with it and do what you can.
"My mindset was, 'I have to get out of there'. Not in a rude way, as in I don't like the club or I don't want to be at the club, I don't like the club. Nothing like that.
"But I needed to play football somewhere new. Start afresh. Try the best I can wherever I am. And then go back to Chelsea at the end of the loan."
Hudson-Odoi has yet to score in his 10 appearances for Leverkusen, though he has assisted one goal and only Moussa Diaby (21) has created more than his 15 chances.
Leverkusen are just one point above the Bundesliga relegation zone after a poor start to the campaign that saw Gerardo Seoane replaced by Xabi Alonso.
Regardless of their disappointing form, Hudson-Odoi is glad to be playing more regular football in the German top flight.
"The results haven't been the greatest but I think experience-wise, it's been very good," he said.
"I'm enjoying my football, smiling every day. And the boys have helped me settle in quick. I feel at home here."
After 2-0 victory over Aruba in Concacaf Nations League Sugar Boyz looking forward to next challenge
Having secured a spot in the CONCACAF Gold Cup preliminary round to be played in Miami later this year, St Kitts and Nevis national senior team, the Sugar Boyz are eagerly anticipating what comes next.
They earned their place in the preliminary round courtesy of a 2-0 victory over Aruba on Monday at the Warner Park Cricket Stadium in Concacaf Nations League action. Keithroy Freeman scored both goals for the Sugar Boyz to seal victory.
Though happy with the victory, Coach Austin Dico Huggins, believed the team should have scored more goals. “The opportunity was there for us to get more but that’s the nature of the game. We managed to get two goals and we are successful so we move on to the next leg in Miami, which will be in June. We have more time to prepare ourselves much better,” he said.
Now just one step away from making history - qualification to the CONCACAF Gold Cup, should they win their Miami – Coach Huggins expressed confidence in his team’s ability to get the job done.
“We are confident and we are looking forward to the opportunity to go out and display our talent and to let people know what St. Kitts (and Nevis) has and we can once more compete with the big boys,” Huggins said.
Meanwhile, Aruba’s coach Marvic Bermudez, said they were unable to nullify the long ball threat from St. Kitts and Nevis. “We saw the other teams in Group C and I told the guys the most difficult team in Group C is St. Kitts (and Nevis),” he said. “I told the guys we have a strong opponent so we have to be really prepared and I was right. St. Kitts is a real(ly) good team,” he said.
A draw will be held on April 14 to determine the Sugar Boyz’s opponents for the preliminary round of the Concacaf Gold Cup.
Ferguson and Wenger become first managers in Premier League Hall of Fame
Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
The great rivals are the first managers to enter the Hall of Fame, which was established in 2021.
Ferguson managed Manchester United from the start of the Premier League era until his retirement in 2013, winning a record 13 titles.
Wenger led Arsenal to three championships in the longest-serving reign in competition history – from 1996 until 2018.
Only Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola (four) and Roma coach Jose Mourinho (three) have joined Ferguson and Wenger in winning multiple titles.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: "We are delighted to welcome our first two managers into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
"Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger both made a remarkable contribution to the history of football in this country.
"They brought unparalleled levels of success to Manchester United and Arsenal respectively, raising standards and thrilling fans with a rivalry which resulted in an astonishing 16 title wins between them."
Ferguson added: "I'm truly delighted to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame. It's an honour when you receive recognition like this.
"However, it's not just about me as a person. It's about the job at Manchester United and the bond we had over many years, so I'm also proud for the club, the staff and my players.
"My job was to send the fans home happy. United's history and my own expectations were the things that drove me, and I then had to try and develop all my players with the same expectations and make sure we could go out and achieve them."
Wenger said: "I am very grateful to have been selected for the Premier League Hall of Fame.
"We always wanted to give something special to the fans, and when you have players capable of remarkable things, the most important thing for me is the obligation of perfection.
"I'd like to be known as someone who loved Arsenal, who respected the values of the club and left it in a position where it can grow and become even bigger."
The pair join 16 players in the Hall of Fame, with three more to be voted in by fans from a 15-man shortlist announced on Thursday.
Herve Renard resigns as Saudi Arabia head coach ahead of France women's move
Saudi Arabia have announced the resignation of head coach Herve Renard, who is set to be confirmed as the head coach of France's women's team.
Renard, who had a contract as Saudi Arabia coach until 2027, will take charge of the French side ahead of the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand later this year.
The 54-year-old, who has won the Africa Cup of Nations twice as a coach, will replace Corinne Diacre as Les Bleues coach.
Diacre left her role amid a player exodus over her management style and treatment of the squad.
In a statement on social media, the Saudi national team said: "The Saudi Arabian Football Federation Board of Directors has agreed on the contract termination of the Head Coach of the Saudi National Team Mr Herve Renard upon his request.
"A legal settlement has been reached to end the contract between the two parties.
"The President and Board of Directors of SAFF wish for Mr Renard every success in his future career."
Renard took the post in 2019 and guided Saudi Arabia to their second successive World Cup finals, becoming the foreign-born manager with the most wins in the nation's history.
He led Saudi Arabia to a shock 2-1 win over eventual champions Argentina in their first group game in Qatar, but defeats to Poland and Mexico meant they failed to reach the knock-out rounds.
Renard oversaw a 2-1 friendly defeat to Bolivia on Tuesday and later posted on social media: "Having been the coach of the national team of Saudi Arabia is a great pride for me.
"Since August 2019, I had the chance to be an integral part of the life of this beautiful country. I have seen this team grow alongside me and achieve a fabulous World Cup and this fantastic and unforgettable win against Argentina.
"Very proud to have been able to show to the world the progress and a good image of Saudi football. It's time for me to fly to another horizon but with these memories engraved in me."
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