‘The physicality you needed was incredible’: Albert Ferrer on the English game and how he adapted

Moving from Spanish football to the rough-and-tough nature of the English game isn’t for everybody.

Albert Ferrer, the former Chelsea defender, moved from Barcelona to Stamford Bridge back in 1998 and spent five years with his beloved Blues.

Winning the FA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup during his stay, his tough-tackling nature and pacy runs forward will long be remembered by sections of the Chelsea faithful.

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Adapting to life in the UK is often a tough sell and foreign imports can often struggle to quickly get to grips with English football’s tough ways.

For Ferrer, his apprenticeship into the game was a debut clash against Coventry City during the 1998/99 season as Chelsea succumbed to a 2-1 defeat.

After paying a rumoured fee of £2.2million for his services, Ferrer spoke exclusively to FourFourTwo on how he looks back with fond memories over his time in the capital city.

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“I stayed at Barcelona for a year under Louis van Gaal, got back into the first team, then was told I could find another club,” began the  now 53-year-old television pundit. 

“Chelsea were quite European in their style of play, but the opposition? Wow. My first match was at Coventry and the ball didn’t touch the floor – I couldn’t believe it.

Marcel Desailly spent six years with the Blues and played a big influence on Ferrer’s stay in London. (Image credit: Getty Images)

“I said to Marcel Desailly, “Marcel, is it always like this?” The physicality you needed was incredible,” he added. 

“But I loved it in England. The media left you alone – you could walk the London streets and nobody knew who you were. 

“It was like going to a spa for five years. After all of the stress and pressure of playing for my hometown club, it was a good move for me.”

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