Victor Moses has said he is becoming a better wing-back with every game and thanked coach Antonio Conte for believing he was good enough to play regularly at Chelsea.
Monday’s 3-0 win over Middlesbrough moved Chelsea to within three points of the Premier League title, and Conte’s decision to switch to a 3-4-3 system in September has been integral to their success.
The tactical reshuffle brought Moses into the starting XI at right wing-back, and the 26-year-old’s consistent performances have made him a key figure.
“I have always believed in the ability that I have got,” he said. “I have always known that I’ve got the ability to play in a big club like Chelsea.
“I have proved that, and we have got a manager here that is willing to give everybody an opportunity.
“It was at Hull [in October] that it all started. I really enjoyed it and I took everything in. I kept watching the video of myself after the Hull game, to make sure I was in the right place, and after that I took it in and kept on improving.
“It’s a big position. You need a lot of stamina to be able to play there, and it’s a responsibility. I have been learning a lot defensively as well, the manager has been teaching me.”
Moses said the fact that he had played as a winger meant he could “understand what wingers are going to do before they try and go past me” and added: “The more games I play, the better I get.”
Conte has described Moses as the “great surprise” of Chelsea’s season and said in November he found it “incredible” that previous managers had failed to identify the Nigeria international’s potential to become a key contributor.
“He didn’t say to me: ‘Do you fancy playing wing-back?’ He just put me in there,” Moses said.
“And constantly he was talking to me in training to make sure I was improving in it, talking me through it. I took that in and I didn’t look back.”
