Wesley Fofana on Estevao Willian: ‘He is amazing, and we will protect him’ | News | Official Site
Wesley Fofana has heaped praise on one of the Blues’ brightest young stars, Estevao Willian, while highlighting both his talent and the team’s commitment to helping him develop.
Estevao’s impact has been undeniable, with the Brazilian making an electric start to life in blue, scoring high-profile goals against Liverpool and Barcelona, while becoming only the third teenager to score in each of his first three UEFA Champions League starts after Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, following his mesmerising solo goal midweek.
As part of the group helping Estevao settle after moving from Brazil over the summer, Fofana has enjoyed the responsibility and taking on a mentorship role, while looking out for his affectionately dubbed ‘little brother’ during this crucial stage of his development.
‘He is amazing, and we see him every day in training, so we know,’ smiled Wes, speaking about Estevao.
‘For the fans, for people outside, it’s a little bit new, but as team-mates we know his quality. He’s very young, and we will try to protect him because he’s a little bit like the little brother of the team, but he’s top, very good.
‘We are trying to help him progress, and don’t know where he can go [because he is 18 years old], but [his performances] are very good for him and for the team as well.’
Still only 24 years old himself, Fofana remembers making his first footballing steps in France, and has his own advice for Estevao as he carves his own path.
He explained: ‘I think the most important thing for Estevao is just to stay focused on football, continue to work, and look after his body because it’s very important – I know! He needs to stay like this and enjoy playing football.’
Fofana believes anything ‘is possible’ as Estevao and the rest of Enzo Maresca’s talented squad prepare for this afternoon’s huge Premier League clash against Arsenal, as first and second in the Premier League go head-to-head.
‘Everything is possible,’ Wes added. ‘We have the quality and, while we’re a young group, we are progressing well.
‘I think compared to last season, we are a bit more mature. We have a lot of good players with quality. We will progress, try to win the most games possible, and we will see where we finish at the end of the season.’
