Cesar Azpilicueta. The true unsung hero of Chelsea Football club.
Many would conveniently associate Nemanja Matic as the unsung hero of the Blues.
On any normal day, Matic negates attacks with his imposing physique and sprays his passes to start the attacks.
The notion of an unsung hero should be one who doesn't even gets noticed by the audience for his antics.
As contradictory as this may sound, my honest opinion is that Azpilicueta is the authentic unsung hero.
“Football is also about character and personality and Azpilicueta has all those traces of a winning personality.”- Jose Mourinho
I've been a big fan of Azpilicueta, or ‘Dave’ who can’t prounce his name ever since his debut for Chelsea against Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2012.
His performances on the field speaks volume of his winning personality.
For a right-legged player playing left-back position is one predicament and ousting the legendary Ashley Cole in the process, you have to be someone special.
In his first season, Azpilicueta cemented himself on the left-back position.
As a Chelsea fan, I would keep a look out for him like a voyageur as I began to familiarize ‘Dave’ starting games on a regular basis.
True enough, Cesar rarely makes a mistake.
He distributes his passes with brilliant accuracy and makes tackles at the right time.
His tactical awareness is excellent in most games.
“I think a team with 11 Azpilicueta’s probably could win the Champions League because football is not just about the pure talent.” said Jose Mourinho, the manager of Chelsea.
Despite lacking the natural football talent like Ronaldo and Messi, Azpilicueta makes up with his understanding of the game and his ‘never give up’ attitude.
In the recent Capital One Cup final, I remembered Azpilicueta ran his heart out with a bandaged head after a nasty collision.
In spite of the injury, he still chased a loose ball in top gear as it was about to get out of play.
Everyone in the stadium and back at home, was almost certain he wasn't going to retrieve the ball. But he still did.
True enough. He didn’t collect the ball.
What matter most was the effort in that sprint.
Against larger opponents, he tries to out-jump and challenge them. Against speedy players, he sprints like Usain Bolt to catch up and tackle them.
Giving up was alien to him.
This is one of the characteristics that I treasure and respect.
Watching him play is didactic; it teaches and reminds me to always give my best to any circumstances. In that sense, watching him play is like an art.
While I've never met him in person, I can’t comment on his true personality. But I’m glad to have encounter a player like Cesar Azpilicueta in my lifetime.
The way he plays certainly inspires me to do well and not give up.
And that is the mark of an unsung hero.
