Hector pleased with spell away from Chelsea
Michael Hector’s name may be lost amongst the raft of Chelsea loanees, but the versatile defender insists he has brought his game on leaps and bounds after a season with Eintracht Frankfurt.
The 24-year-old Jamaican international joined Chelsea in the summer of 2015 but is yet to make his Blues debut, loaned back to former club Reading before his stint in Germany.
It was Hector’s first taste of continental football, and a productive season as he made 27 appearances for Frankfurt – who finished 11th in the Bundesliga and were beaten by Borussia Dortmund in the DFB-Pokal final.
Chelsea had 35 men out on loan last term, but Hector is confident the time benefitted him well and even helped him develop his capabilities in manager Antonio Conte’s preferred back-three system.
“On the ball I feel like I have gone to another level with my distribution from the back,” he said. “My defensive marking and being aware of danger has improved too.
“Sometimes in the Championship if you switch off the striker may miss the chance, but this year I learned quickly if I switch off, it’s a goal.
“That’s improved me as a defender and helped me be concentrated for 90 minutes and not just 60 or 70. That’s been the main point I think.
“But I played all across the back three, left side, centrally and I finished up on the right. I played in holding midfield for a couple of games as well so it’s been a good experience for me.
“I enjoy playing in the centre. You can control the whole back five, and you’re also the last line of defence.
“I’d played a couple of times in a back three before in my career, when I was at Aberdeen and also in a couple of other places. It’s a been a while but I enjoyed it.”
