In 2016, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was tasked with cleaning the boots of Leicester City’s first-team players, a rite of passage for young academy players. Little did he know that his boot-cleaning duties would lead him to work under the same manager, Enzo Maresca, at Chelsea years later.
Dewsbury-Hall fondly recalls his time as N’Golo Kante’s boot boy, making sure the French midfielder’s boots were spotless. “He did tip me well, though!” Dewsbury-Hall chuckles. “I think someone told him it was good manners to tip at Christmas, and he might have gone to the cashpoint that night and brought it in the next day! He was quite generous, so I thank whoever told him that!”
Fast forward to the present, and Dewsbury-Hall has followed in Kante’s footsteps from Leicester to Chelsea, signing a five-year contract with the Blues. The 25-year-old midfielder is determined to make a name for himself at Stamford Bridge, just as Kante did during his time at the club.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall believes Chelsea can become a ‘serious force’ under Enzo Maresca
£30m man Dewsbury-Hall won the Championship at Leicester last year with Maresca in charge
Dewsbury-Hall is relishing the opportunity to work under Maresca once again, having won the Championship with him at Leicester. He believes the Italian coach has the ability to transform Chelsea into a top-four team, citing his attention to detail and ability to connect with players on a personal level.
“He has an aura about him,” Dewsbury-Hall says. “You listen to what he’s saying. He can be very strict, but then he’s got a gentle, human side to him where you can go and talk to him as a person. He was a player for 20 years, so he knows what it’s like.”
He has had less downtime than his Blues team-mates and is determined to reach full fitness
Dewsbury-Hall is confident that Maresca’s tactics will pay off, citing the Italian’s ability to get the best out of his players. “When a player gets the ball, he knows exactly where his teammates are,” Dewsbury-Hall explains. “You don’t even need to look. You know the plan.”
The midfielder believes that Maresca’s coaching style will help him take his game to the next level, and he’s determined to make a strong impression in his first season at Chelsea. Dewsbury-Hall is also keen to earn an England call-up within the next 12 months, following in the footsteps of Cole Palmer.
“One hundred per cent,” he says. “I’ve always dreamt of playing for England. I have my aims for Chelsea, of course – winning trophies and playing well – but hopefully, side by side with that, if it can get me in contention, it would be a dream.”
Dewsbury-Hall finishes with a word of warning for the sceptics who say Maresca is out of his depth at Chelsea: prepare to be surprised by the Premier League’s newest head coach. “Definitely,” he says. “One hundred per cent. Look, I don’t want to be banging on saying, ‘We’re going to be doing this or that’. He is unknown for a lot of people, but I can go off working with him and say my opinions, and I think he is top, top level. I do think he will surprise a lot of people in the way we play and the way we do things.”