Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy recently revealed how being snubbed of a Ballon d’Or nomination affected him after a promising start to his career with the London-based club.
Mendy joined the Blues in September 2020, making an instant impact while under the guidance of former mentor, Frank Lampard.
In making a managerial change, Thomas Tuchel took charge of Chelsea after an underwhelming spell with the club legend and subsequently got back to challenging for honours.
At the forefront of Chelsea’s charge toward silverware, particularly in the 2020 edition of the UEFA Champions League, Mendy proved to be one of the club’s best players at the time. The Senegalese shot-stopper put in a string of clutch performances, as Chelsea went on to win the coveted competition.
In claiming the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations title with Senegal, Mendy described his success at the time as incredible and explained how a Ballon d’Or snub affected him.
“There have been some incredible moments and there have been some moments that have been more difficult,” said Mendy according Eurosport.
“After the Ballon d’Or, I think that even if you try to rise above it, unconsciously you are still affected by it. But also it was something new for me.
“You learn from every challenge and I’ve learned how to deal with it. These are things that I’ve experienced which have made me a better person even if at the time it does affect us.”