Chelsea manager, Frank Lampard, has showered encomiums on Tammy Abraham, after the striker’s goalscoring contribution in a 4-1 victory at Southampton last Sunday.
Abraham scored his eighth goal at Southampton in his eight Premier League this season.
The 22-year-old spent the 2018-19 season on loan at Aston Villa and played a key role in their promotion bid, netting 26 goals in 40 Championship appearances.
“You talk about when people are in good form, things happen for them or they generally have moments,” the Blues boss began at a post-match press conference.
“For me, that comes from how Tammy has handled himself all season from the early moments of pre-season and the start of the season when people were questioning him in different ways.
ALSO READ: Nigeria/Brazil friendly: Rohr hands Solomon-Otabor late call-up
“It’s the work ethic behind the scenes that gets him in such good nick. He’s not just an incredible handful for defenders – he’s running them, he’s holding the ball up, he’s controlling it, he’s got good feet – he’s also getting his goals, which is brilliant for him.
“I trusted in Tammy at the start of the season. I felt it was his time to come back to Chelsea. I know people will talk about the circumstances [of the transfer ban], but he also has Olivier Giroud, who’s a World Cup winner, and also [Michy] Batshuayi who’s a top-class Premier League striker in my opinion as well.
“He’s made the position his own in the short-term now. He has to keep that going because competition is key and over the course of the season we’ll need everybody.
“But he has deserved the great week he has had. He has deserved the great start to the season he has had and I will keep on him, because I want more.”
Abraham was called up to the England squad for the first time in two years last week, ahead of upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.
ALSO READ: City can still catch Liverpool in title race ―Guardiola
The Chelsea ace was substituted late on against the Saints after suffering a knock, but Lampard went on to allay any fears over his fitness heading into the international break.
“He’s fine,” he said. “He took a bang on the back of the knee, but I think he wanted a round of applause.”
The Blues will resume their Premier League campaign at home to Newcastle on October 19, before taking in a trip to Ajax in the Champions League four days later.