The Chelsea wing-back has hailed his team-mate’s influence over his adaptation to a more defensive role after being nominated for individual honours
It has been a transformative year for Victor Moses and Chelsea.
Antonio Conte’s decision to convert the Nigerian into a wing-back early in the 2016-17 campaign was instrumental in both driving the Blues to a Premier League title and also reviving Moses’ Stamford Bridge career.
The 26-year-old is currently out with a hamstring strain but that will not stop him remembering 2017 fondly. As well as securing his first English championship, he played a starring role as Nigeria became the first African nation to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
Having already been nominated for the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) Player of the Year award, Moses has now been named one of the top-five players from his continent as voting for the BBC’s African Player of the Year prize opens.
It is an honour that has previously been bestowed upon former Chelsea greats Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel.
“Yes, it is amazing,” Moses told Goal in an exclusive interview. “I am pleased with the position I am in today. My manager and team-mates helped me and encouraged me.
“It shows how hard I worked last year but it isn’t about being nominated but winning [the award]. Whatever the outcome is, I know that I have had a great year at the club and with the national team as well.
“I was part of the first African team to qualify for the World Cup as well which was good for us. I am pleased to follow in [the former Chelsea players’] footsteps; now I want to take my football to the next level.
“Every season I want to be the best I can to be Africa’s best player. I will do the best I can.
“To be honest with you, it is just about hard work. Once you put in the hard work then everything else falls into place.
“I am a player that will always look up to Didier [Drogba]. He is a legend, not just Africa and Chelsea, but the whole world. Didier is a great player.
“He scores goals, assists and he’s got everything that you’d ask for in a striker. We as African players are all proud of what Didier achieved as a player. The way he holds himself is unbelievable.
“Mikel and Essien have been nominated too. I am proud that we were nominated for the same awards.”
Moses was born in Lagos, the largest city in Nigeria, but moved to England at age 11 as an asylum seeker after his parents were killed in a religious attack.
His talent saw him quickly scouted by a number of London’s best clubs. Crystal Palace saw off Tottenham to add him to their academy ranks and he arrived at Chelsea for £9 million after the early promise he had shown at Palace earned him a move to Wigan Athletic, then a Premier League side.
Success in west London was not immediate, and Moses was sent on loan to Liverpool, Stoke City and West Ham.
But Chelsea now count on Moses as their first-choice right wing-back. They have been without him for the past month, forcing Cesar Azpilicueta to fill in.
The Spaniard may not possess Moses’ direct running or goalscoring threat but the 26-year-old says no one has been a bigger influence on him as he has adapted to the defensive demands of his new role.
“I’d say Azpilicueta [has influenced me most],” Moses revealed. “He played a huge part in my defensive development last season.
“He is always behind me, always constantly talking to me to make sure I am in the right position. When is the time to go and when’s the time to stay.
“The more games I was playing, [the more] we were getting used to the formation and position I was playing, which worked out well for me and he helped a lot.
“He understands me. We established a partnership which was very good.
“To me, I would say that Cesar is underrated. As a defender he has got everything. He’s quick, he’s got that desire, passion for the game. He just wants to play football. Azpilicueta is never tired. He can run all night in every minute.
