Gittens Backs Himself Under 'World-Class' Alonso at Chelsea

Chelsea winger Jamie Gittens is confident he has a future at Stamford Bridge and is full of praise for new boss Xabi Alonso.

Jamie Gittens wants the world to know he belongs at Chelsea. The 21-year-old winger is backing himself to make a real statement in Xabi Alonso's first full season in charge — and he's already getting goals on the board to prove it.

Alonso Gives Gittens the Green Light

Gittens didn't hesitate when asked whether the new Chelsea head coach sees him as part of the picture. According to BBC Sport, his answer was a straight "Yeah." Alonso's message to the young winger has been simple: stay positive, keep taking players on, create chances, and push yourself to the limit every single day.

That kind of direct, performance-focused feedback is exactly what a player trying to find his feet at a new club needs. Gittens joined Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund in a £52m deal last summer, but his debut season at Stamford Bridge was underwhelming — a hamstring injury in January cut short what was already a difficult campaign.

Respect Earned on the Pitch

Gittens made clear why the Chelsea squad has bought into Alonso from day one. The Spaniard isn't just a decorated manager — he was a world-class midfielder whose name carries serious weight at the highest levels of European football. Stints at Real Madrid and Liverpool alone put him among the elite players of his generation.

For Gittens personally, the respect runs even deeper. He faced Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen side while playing in Germany and described it as "really hard." That's an understatement — Leverkusen went on to win both the Bundesliga title and the German Cup in Alonso's first full season in charge, an almost flawless domestic campaign.

Back Fit and Firing

The hamstring setback that derailed Gittens' season is firmly in the rearview mirror — or at least he's getting close. He reports being "90% fit" after a pre-season training camp split between Portugal and Spain.

More importantly, the goals have already come. Gittens scored in each of Alonso's first two closed-door friendlies against EFL sides Crawley and Bromley. That kind of early momentum matters when you're trying to nail down a starting spot in a squad that is being rebuilt from top to bottom.

He was candid about the mental toll of his first significant muscle injury. "It has been hard because this was the first muscle injury I've had," he said. "I'm feeling much better, the hamstrings are good."

Rogers Arrival Raises the Bar

Gittens is also excited by the calibre of players arriving around him. Morgan Rogers joined Chelsea in a British transfer record deal worth £117m, and Gittens knows him well — the pair came through Manchester City's academy together. His view? Rogers is exactly the kind of signing that "will raise the bar" across the entire squad.

That bar needs raising. Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League last season, missed out on European football entirely, and ended the campaign empty-handed. For a club with the financial firepower and the ambitions that Chelsea openly declare, that kind of return is simply not good enough.

Gittens insists the mentality inside the building hasn't shifted — they still want to "win everything." Whether Alonso can convert that ambition into silverware will be one of the most watched stories in English football this season.

A Season to Define His Chelsea Career

Gittens knows the stakes. He's had his glimpses — a good moment here, a promising run there — but nothing sustained enough to silence the doubters who wondered whether £52m was too steep a price.

This season is his answer. "I want to succeed here. I need to show people what I can do. I've shown small glimpses, I would say, but this season will be a good season," he said.

With Alonso's backing, his fitness returning, and goals already coming in pre-season, Gittens has every reason to believe that.