Marcos Alonso has revealed the advice that inspired his revival at Chelsea after a feud with Frank Lampard.
Spanish left-back Alonso has featured in six of Thomas Tuchel’s Premier League games so far out of nine, showing his versatility to play at left-midfield as well.
Alonso even scored in the 2-0 win over Burnley, but had not featured since a disappointing showing against West Brom early on this season.
The 30-year-old was to blame for two goals as the Baggies roared to a 3-0 lead, before Chelsea pegged them back in a thrilling encounter back in September.
The Athletic claim that Lampard was fuming with Alonso, which led to his exile.
But the former Atletico Madrid man insists that it is not unusual to have a boss that is not your biggest fan, and holds no hard feelings towards Lampard.
"In everyone’s career in football you have good times and bad times, even if you are Messi or Ronaldo, the best players ever," Alonso told Chelsea's website.
"A manager that doesn’t like you is absolutely normal, and it’s about the way you take it.
"My dad told me if it were him in his times, his father, my grandfather, would say ‘tell the manager where to go, I will go to the owner and say I’m leaving!’. My dad always tells me he wasn’t that lucky in terms of the advice from my grandfather!
"He took the good things. He has always taught me to work hard and be ready in tough times. I am a professional and I have to be ready and focused."
Now back in the frame under Tuchel, Alonso admits that life has been tough in Covid times, but says that he kept his head down so he would be ready to get back on the pitch.
"It was tough," he added. "The pandemic is tough for everyone. You see a lot of people dying, a lot of friends and close family suffering a bit from the virus.
"It’s difficult. If you add to that difficult times at work, it’s even more difficult, but you have to continue with life outside the pitch.
“From my experience, the only way to turn things around is to work hard and be ready for the time the opportunity comes.
“Sometimes this happens in the same team, sometimes maybe you go somewhere else and you have to be ready anyway.
"I have been training very hard, even harder than usual, and trying to keep my mind on my fitness levels and making sure I was ready when the time came."
