Tammy Abraham had to leave Chelsea in order to shake ‘academy player’ tag & is loving life under Jose Mourinho at Roma

• Product of Blues' youth system
• Moved to Italy in 2021
• Working under Portuguese coach

WHAT HAPPENED? The England international striker is a product of the famed youth system at Stamford Bridge, with a senior step up eventually made in west London that allowed him to register 30 goals through 82 appearances for the Blues. He was, however, unable to nail down a No.9 berth and left for a new challenge at Roma in 2021 that has allowed him to prove his worth well outside of a supposed comfort zone.

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WHAT THEY SAID: Abraham has told UEFA’s official website of why he needed to trade the capital city of England for its Italian equivalent: “I've become more confident and have learnt a lot about myself. At Chelsea I was known as ‘the academy player’, and I think coming here I've realised it's time to bring out my personality and show the world what I can do. It's been an amazing experience learning about a different culture and seeing a different area of life. It's something I'll treasure even more looking back when my career has finished.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Abraham’s time in Rome has allowed him to work with former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, with the enigmatic Portuguese bringing the best out of him across two seasons that have delivered 36 goals and Europa Conference League glory. Abraham said of working with one of the most decorated coaches on the planet: “He expects me to work hard, to lift my team-mates and the fans, and that's when I play my best football. He's the kind of person who likes to focus on the next game, and if you think too far ahead you miss out key information and bits of detail. It has been a good season and hopefully we can lift silverware at the end of it.”

IN THREE PHOTOS:

WHAT NEXT? Roma are in the hunt for more continental honours this season, as they prepare to face Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League semi-finals, and Abraham will be hoping to figure prominently in those fixtures after seeing a return to England in the summer transfer window speculated on.