Tammy Abraham acknowledges that he had to leave Chelsea in order to shed the label of “the academy player” and receive the respect his skill set merited.
The Stamford Bridge youth system produced the England international striker, who eventually took the senior step up in west London and scored 30 goals in 82 games for the Blues.
He failed to secure a No. 9 spot, though, and went for a new challenge at Roma in 2021, which gave him the chance to establish his value far outside of his purported comfort zone.
Abraham explained on the official UEFA website why he had to switch from the English Premier League to the Serie A:
“I’ have become more confident and have learned a lot about myself. I was referred to as “the academy player” while playing for Chelsea, but since moving here, I believe I’ve realized it’s time to show my true self and what I’m capable of”.
“Learning about another culture and experiencing a different aspect of life has been an incredible experience. It’s something I’ll value even more in the future, after my Career is over”.
During his time in Rome so far, Abraham had the opportunity to work with former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who brought out the best in the player over the course of two seasons and led his team to victory in the Europa Conference League and 36 goals.