Callum Hudson-Odoi opened up about his time at Chelsea and explained that the club’s youth system helped him mature and develop.
The Nottingham Forest winger left his boyhood club in the summer of 2023, ending a period that began in Chelsea’s youth academy. While with the Blues, Hudson-Odoi became U18 Premier League champions, as well as back-to-back FA Youth Cup winners, before being part of a senior team that won the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup.
His eventual permanent move to Forest saw him score eight goals in 35 appearances last season, while he has returned two goals in 12 appearances so far during 2024/25.
Hudson-Odoi’s days at Cobham, however, remain a happy memory.
“Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in the world and obviously the whole academy, the whole structure and the facilities are excellent,” he said. Players on the rise. “It’s amazing, so every time you go there and everyone sees it they say, ‘wow, this is different.’
“You have like, I don’t even know how many pitches, 42 pitches at the academy and it’s crazy, everyone thinks it’s an amazing facility.
“I think that’s what helps you, you see all the fields and then you want to just be on the field playing football. I think that helped me a lot because growing up throughout the academy, I’ve been in Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea in everything. “I think that makes you understand a lot about Chelsea.”
“I understand the whole culture of the club,” he continued. “What it was like, what the managers are like, how the people there try to help you and develop you. I think that was important, the people there were very good, the managers there were very good, the staff was very kind to all the players, they wanted the best for everyone.
“And they didn’t do it for them, they did it for us to develop us and bring out the best in us. This made me mature a lot, it made me understand a lot about Membership and about London.”
“It’s hard to achieve and try to be the best you can at all times, but when you have staff members who can help you and push you to the end, things become a lot easier.”
Hudson-Odoi is expected to return to action when Nottingham Forest take on Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
