Ake proud of his senior Chelsea debut

Nathan Ake expressed his delight and pride in making his first competitive for the Chelsea first-team.

Ake made his senior debut yesterday, as a 90th minute substitiute for Juan Mata, in the 1-0 win over Norwich City.

The 17 year-old said: “I was nervous when I was brought on. But it was 1-0, so I thought I should just do my job.

“The coach gave a few assignments and he told me to enjoy it. Afterwards the players congratulated me, this was very nice.

“Of course I’m now very happy and proud, but at the same time I realise that I need to keep working hard because this is just the beginning.”

The young Dutchman can play in either midfield or defence, and is expected to be paired up with David Luiz in training to further his abilities.

Chelsea signed Ake from Feyenoord after his exploits in the UEFA U-17 tournament, which he won with his Holland side.

Ake did not have enough time on the pitch to show off his full potential, but the fact he has made his debut at this young age means the manager has faith in him. I would hope we can secure a loan move for the youngster in the new year, in the hope of him gaining some first team experience. He certainly looks one for the future and I’m sure his time will come to make his mark on the Premier League.