A player set to leave Chelsea this month was once branded Enzo Maresca’s ‘teacher’s pet’. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall joined the Blues last summer, following Maresca to Stamford Bridge from Leicester City, where they won the Championship title last season. The energetic midfielder quickly stood out among Chelsea’s bulging squad.
His tireless work ethic in training saw him jokingly called a ‘teacher’s pet’ by team-mates. Speaking back in August, the 26-year-old said of the nickname: “A couple of the lads have had a laugh and joke. I don't mind – it's all fun and games.
"It is quite weird [knowing Maresca beforehand] but it has almost helped me a bit to settle in. It has helped me a lot because I can have more conversations with people and it has helped me get a really good bond with the lads over the last couple of weeks.".
However, his good attitude and relationship with Maresca hasn’t translated into regular first-team football for the £30million signing. He has mainly featured in the Europa Conference League, although he did start Monday’s 3-1 victory over Wolves in the Premier League.
Maresca has recently fielded questions about the future of Dewsbury-Hall, who has been linked with loan moves to both Everton and West Ham this month. With Everton keen to send Armando Broja back to west London, Chelsea have offered Dewsbury-Hall or Carney Chukwuemeka to the Toffees as a replacement.
