New Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca will “surprise people” by quickly getting the club challenging for major honours and qualifying for the Champions League, says Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
The 25-year-old followed his former manager to Stamford Bridge in a £30m move last month after starring in his Championship-winning Leicester City team, which earned promotion to the Premier League last season.
“The manager was a big catalyst in wanting me to come,” Dewsbury-Hall told BBC Sport.
“I knew from Leicester, a club that went down and had a lot of problems, how he managed to galvanise that, if everyone manages to buy into the system.
“I genuinely think in a short space of time we can be pushing for minimum top four – but more than that.
“He may be unknown for a lot of people, but he is top, top level. He will surprise a lot of people.”
Dewsbury-Hall was Leicester’s Player and Players’ Player of the Year last season under Maresca, excelling as an attacking midfielder with 12 goals and 15 assists – his best figures as a professional.
He could make his Chelsea debut in Saturday’s pre-season friendly against Celtic in Notre Dame, California (21:00 BST) after missing the 2-2 draw with Wrexham.
Dewsbury-Hall features in some of the video clips of Leicester which Maresca is using to get his tactics across and he added: “A couple of the lads have had a laugh and joke [about me being the teacher’s pet], I don’t mind – it’s all fun and games.
“You are getting lads coming up to me and asking questions. I am happy to let them know what my opinions and experiences are. They will gather their own opinions week by week.”
Dewsbury-Hall believes Maresca will be successful where other managers, such as Mauricio Pochettino, Graham Potter and Thomas Tuchel, have struggled under the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital ownership.
“We’ve only been doing it for two or three weeks but the combination plays are really quick and tidy,” he said. “That’s after two weeks. I remember he said to us at Leicester after six months or a year, there might be teething problems at the start but it will improve.
“Within the first week at Leicester I was convinced this was top, top level. I felt a bit stupid, I thought I knew a lot about football but he was teaching me things on a daily basis that I didn’t really know before. He has an aura, he can be strict, or gentle and soft – he has both sides.
“I am getting the same feedback here with the lads. They’ve bought into it here from minute one which is exciting. With a system and philosophy you need everyone to buy in because, if they do, you can really achieve something.”
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