Ruben Loftus-Cheek

“Arsenal-Chelsea games can go either way. They are always competitive and physical and really good games technically.”

“It's important for me to work hard and give 100 per cent in training to try to improve.”

“You can only improve so much in training.”

“I want to work really hard.”

“I don't understand what's going on behind the scenes fully, but Chelsea's a massive club, and I understand why chances don't come so often.”

“The more you play, the more you feel part of the squad, and then, in turn, you end up playing better. I think it's a psychological gap as well - if you don't think you're a first-team player, then you won't be.”

“I'm getting more confident the more I play.”

“I've really enjoyed myself and the time I've had on the pitch, the opportunity to play for England.”

“Since I was a young kid, I have always been calm on the ball. That comes down to awareness as well. When you have good awareness and you know what's going on around you, you don't need to panic. There is no point. It just makes things worse. You have to stay calm, cool, and collected.”

“Chelsea is always hard to break into, but I believe in myself, and if I work hard, then hopefully things will go well.”

“To compare players at different stages in their career shouldn't happen.”

“I definitely don't want to be compared with Dele anymore.”

“I'm confident in my ability, and I just try to enjoy myself when I play.”

“I'd been at Chelsea for a while and progressed quite quickly until I got to the first team, and then it was different. I was used to playing every minute of every game, but when you get to that level, the step up is massive. There are world-class players in front of you, and no matter how talented you are, breaking in is difficult.”

“When you don't play, you really feel the difference of what matches give you. The match-sharpness, the fitness. It's what you need to progress.”

“I'd had success with the junior England teams.”

“I realised to keep improving, I needed to play more. It wasn't easy not getting many chances, but I knew I just had to keep working hard in training and take the opportunities when they came.”

“As a youth player, I played for England and got used to it, and I have just to carry it on to the bigger stage.”

“It was tough mentally at Chelsea, obviously not getting the game time. I had to be really patient and have the mentality to still train right and do all the right things.”

“Any game in the World Cup is a tough game. The atmosphere brings a lot out of both teams.”