Enzo Maresca proved right after £37m Chelsea transfer decision and Liam Rosenior deserves credit
It has taken a bit of time but Jorrel Hato is quickly becoming one of Chelsea’s most important defenders with Liam Rosenior putting immense faith in the Dutchman
Former Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca(Image: Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth)
After a slow start to life at Stamford Bridge, Jorrel Hato looks comfortably at home now. The 20-year-old signed for Chelsea last summer for a fee understood to be in the region of £37million from Ajax and while there was plenty of excitement around his signing, it took a while for the versatile defender to show what he is made of.
Under former Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca, the Dutchman was more of a bit-part player; often starting in cup matches against lower-level teams and being used from the bench in the Premier League.
With Maresca at the helm, Hato made a total of nine appearances and people were already starting to question the logic of spending £37m on him last summer. “He is much more mature than his age; he has captained Ajax and this kind of thing,” Maresca said in August. “But with him, the message is the same; he is in a different country, a different league, a different tempo, and a different intensity. He needs to adapt, but for sure, there are no doubts he is going to help us.”
FOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE! Latest Blues news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
Maresca has been proven right in that regard because with time, Hato has become integral at Stamford Bridge. Since Liam Rosenior was appointed three months ago, the Netherlands international has already made 18 appearances – featuring in all but two of his matches in charge to date.
Hato scored his second goal for Chelsea in Saturday evening’s 7-0 victory over Port Vale – and his first at Stamford Bridge. Both of Hato’s goals for the Blues have come in the FA Cup. “It’s my tournament, isn’t it?” said the former Ajax defender.
“I was very happy to score my first goal [vs Charlton] and now my first goal at Stamford Bridge, so I’m very happy. It was a great result and we played great football. It’s a good way to come back after the international break.”
Hato’s flexibility in the back line is something Rosenior loves. Not only has the Dutchman covered at left-back whenever Marc Cucurella has been injured, or needed a rest, but he has also slotted into the centre of defence at times.
Jorrel Hato celebrates scoring for Chelsea against Port Vale(Image: Chris Lee – Chelsea FC)
football.london was told last summer that one of the main reasons Hato was brought to the club was his versatility. Rosenior has spoken plenty about wanting his players to be able to operate in multiple positions. If you ever ask Rosenior about X player’s strongest position, he will give you an answer along the lines of, ‘he can play anywhere’.
Hato’s versatility coupled with his ability on the ball makes him the perfect player for Rosenior and his style of football. His progress and development in the second half of the season has been excellent and the £37m Chelsea spent on him last summer is quietly becoming a shrewd piece of business.
The Dutchman takes most of the credit, of course, but Rosenior should get some too. The way he has put his trust in Hato has clearly benefitted all parties.
