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Kalas using Christensen as Chelsea role model after Fulham promotion party
Nizaar Kinsella, Chelsea correspondent 28/05/2018
Chelsea loanee Tomas Kalas is looking to Andreas Christensen for
inspiration as he waits on talks over his future.
Christensen spent two years on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach before
making the breakthrough at Stamford Bridge in 2017-18 to establish himself
as a regular under Antonio Conte.
Kalas joined the Blues on the same pre-season tour which allowed
Christensen to make his mark last summer, but he has been on loan at five
clubs in eight seasons since arriving in England. His most recent stint
ended in success as he helped Fulham to return to the Premier League for
the first time since 2014 through the Championship play-off final, and the
25-year-old is now hoping to impress at his parent club.
"Andreas Christensen made it and he played many games. Obviously, there
were a few mistakes but he took the chance well and he deserves to be
there. If he can do it, then I believe I can do it as well," Kalas said
amid a promotion party at Wembley Stadium. "I just don't want to be too
overconfident.
"I have been there on pre-seasons in the past and I don't think that I was
the worst player on the pitch. One season that I spent there I got only
two games, which was not as many as I was expecting or what I was told I
would get. Both games we won and we only conceded an unlucky goal against
Cardiff, so it could have been two clean sheets.
"I don't know what I could do more. If it comes, with the way they are
playing, then hopefully I will fit in. On the other side, it hasn't worked
for the last eight years. Is it time to change? Maybe yes, maybe not… If
we work it out with Chelsea, between me, Fulham or maybe even a different
club but I can't really say much about that right now."
Before moving to Fulham, Kalas had a season at Sigma Olomouc - the club
Chelsea signed him from. He then went on to Vitesse, Chelsea's feeder club
in the Netherlands, before taking in an unsuccessful spell at Koln in the
Bundesliga.
Kalas has finally found his feet in the Championship, establishing himself
as a top defender in the English second division. Kalas has spent 18
months at Middlesbrough and two years at Fulham, making over 120
appearances in the process, and thinks now is the time to experience the
Premier League.
"Of course, I want it," Kalas added, when asked if he would like to stay at
Fulham. "I don't know if it will happen though. There will be talks in the
next month. Hopefully, it will work in the way that I want it, Chelsea
want it and maybe Fulham want it. I don't know if it will, it is difficult
to say now what is going to happen.
"If it goes the right way, it would be nice to stay with the team that's
in the Premier League. For me, it would be another step towards the
highest level, because of course the Championship is not the highest
level. The Premier League would be perfect, it doesn't matter which club.
If it was at Fulham, where I have spent the past two seasons, then that
would be even better.
"We are going to talk about it and Fulham has to offer something if they
want me. I don't know now but I am just glad we made it. What happens next
season, I don't really know. I just don't want to be overconfident but I
can rate myself as an experienced Championship player. What's the next
step? To try it in the Premier League.
"If I am not ready now to try my best and take a punt, then I don't think
that I ever will be. I can easily say that I will try to get myself to a
Premier League team, if an offer comes."
By some measures, Kalas' eight years at Chelsea mark him out as club's
longest-serving player - among those who were signed over the age of 16.
That standing has arisen following Chelsea's release of Matej Delac to AC
Horsens in the Danish Superliga.
The 25-year-old, who has made four appearances for Chelsea, admits that it
is a peculuar record, but he remains happy at how his parent club have
handled him.
He added: "Is it a positive record or negative? You could see it from both
ways but being employed by Chelsea for eight years is not a bad record,
even though I just started two games for them. I am taking it positively
because they took me into senior football and helped me to develop.
"Even though it might sound horrific to keep sending me on loans, they
always sent me on the loans that I wanted or agreed too. They listened to
me and we found a way, so I believe the same thing will happen for next
season."
Slavisa Jokanovic's side took in their first Wembley Stadium visit for 43
years on Saturday, as Tom Cairney fired the club back into English
football's top tier. Kalas was brought on as a substitute as Villa put
pressure on Fulham in the wake of Denis Odoi's dismissal for collecting a
second yellow card.
He is glad to have done his bit in getting the Cottagers over the line and
admits he is ending the season in perfect fashion, with matches for the
Czech Republic next on the agenda.
"Unbelievable, it is difficult to describe it with words," he continued.
"It is something that we tried to achieve for a long time. For two
seasons, last season was disappointing. This season, we made it to the end
and won. It is difficult to say how I am feeling but it is nothing but
positive.
"Obviously, we were under pressure with a player less and it was all going
Aston Villa's way. It wasn't much about football, it was more about team
spirit and the way we handled it towards the end. It was superb as much as
how we played our first half. So all together, the quality, team spirit
all came at the right time and that's why we won.
"Getting promoted, what more can you ask for. To be successful in the
Premier League is for next season, so we couldn't ask for anything more
this season."