Ake issues response over Conte’s ‘impatience’ claims

Matt Stead

Nathan Ake has issued a response to Antonio Conte’s claims over ‘impatience’ in young footballers.

Conte suggested that young players lack “patience” in the modern game, and that they should “trust the club”.

“Sometimes I think the young players lose their patience very quickly,” said Conte.

“A lot of the time because of parents or the people around them. I think the advisers aren’t right.

“The first thing they should have is good patience. Trust the club. Then work very hard to know that to play at this level you must be stronger – and very good.

“Sometimes, young players think they can play easily in the first team, but that’s not true. I have to pick 11 players. Not only me, every coach.”

Chelsea have sold a number of young players so far this summer, with Dominic Solanke leaving for Liverpool, Bertrand Traore departing for Ajax and Watford signing Nathaniel Chalobah.

Ake also left to join Bournemouth in a club-record £20million deal, but he says that he had to move for first-team football.

“It is a short career, but I’m 22 now and I feel like I have had a good experience playing games and you just want to continue doing that,” he said.

“I understand what he said but I think we also know that Chelsea is a big club and for myself it was going to be difficult to come in and play straight away.

“The decision to come here was to be able to play more games which is important for me and that is why I came here.

“There are no guarantees that I will play coming here but if I train hard and play well then I will have a chance. Hopefully, I can be in the team from the start of the season.”