A View From The Bridge

“Fortunately for me it worked” – Chelsea star reveals he almost quit football six years ago

Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy almost quit football in 2014

According to The Guardian, Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy almost gave up playing football in 2014.

The Senegalese international is today the club’s first-choice keeper, having joined from French side Rennes in the summer. Becoming Chelsea’s keeper is no mean feat and it shows how far the player has come since his dark days.

“If someone had said to me six years ago when I didn’t have a club that I would end up here, I wouldn’t have even bothered looking at or listening to them.”

Just six years ago, Mendy was released by French side Cherbourg and was under unemployment benefit. This combined with having to take care of a pregnant wife, it is fair to say Mendy had serious issues to ponder.

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has named Edouard Mendy as his number one (Getty Images)

He eventually got back to training with Le Havre’s reserves and moved to Marseille to resurrect his career. Now the number one for both club and country, Mendy has turned his life around.

“I had the opportunity to go to Marseille and I was given a trial there. Fortunately for me it worked.”

It is not just his own fortunes that he has been reinventing himself. By keeping two cleansheets in his last three appearances, the 28-year-old has also breathed new life into a struggling Chelsea backline.

Edouard Mendy has two clean sheets in three appearances for Chelsea

Hard work and miracles go hand in hand

Resurrecting one’s career after a year in the wilderness is no mean feat. It does not just take good fortune but also dedication and hard work.

Mendy thanked his family for helping him through the tough times. The player himself was not without doubts. However, he persevered and is now reaping the benefits.

“I had many, many doubts during that time. But it was thanks to my family who helped so much in those moments to keep me strong.”

Mendy was a surprise choice to solve Chelsea’s goalkeeping problem. An unglamorous option, he has shown that reputation can only get you so far.

Chelsea star Edouard Mendy almost gave up football six years ago

If anything, he has replaced the world’s most expensive keeper at one of the continent’s elite clubs. Something that would have sounded beyond preposterous just half a decade ago.

More Chelsea News

Mendy has largely steadied the Chelsea backline and has turned both his and the club’s fortunes around. Football has a way of creating miracles and making dreams come true.

Pranav Nair

Recent Posts

Noni Madueke praises Cole Palmer, and says he doesn’t have a ceiling

Chelsea winger Noni Madueke has sung the praises of his teammate, Cole Palmer, describing him as a player with extraordinary…

5 days ago

Fan Power: How Chelsea Fans Could Stop Stamford Bridge Move

Ask any matchday Chelsea fan who the CPO are, and they’ll tell you that it stands for the Chelsea Pitch…

3 weeks ago

Chelsea and Arsenal in pursuit of €427,308 per week striker

Chelsea and Arsenal are reportedly planning to make a signing move for the Juventus Center forward in winter.

3 weeks ago

Former Arsenal star raves about Chelsea’s midfield maestro

Cole Palmer is taking the headlines for the performances he has been putting in since moving to Chelsea in the…

4 weeks ago

Chelsea alarmed by unfolding situation with 17-year-old signing

Chelsea have received an alarming news on their signing Kendry Paez who is likely to join the club next year.

1 month ago

Chelsea ready to move for Brazilian defender with €70 million. release clause

According to a Brazilian news outlet UOL, Chelsea are trying to sign the young Brazilian JP Chermont from Santos.

1 month ago