Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 7:38 PM• Mart van Mourik • Last update: 19:44

Simon Kjaer expects Andreas Christensen to become one of the best defenders in the world. In conversation with the Danish Bold Kjaer expresses his appreciation for his teammate in the Danish national team, although he also gives Christensen some striking advice. According to his compatriot, to really become the best, the Chelsea centre-back has to ‘scream louder’ in the field. “I want to see more personality,” said Kjaer.

In the interview with the Danish football news site, Christensen’s role at Chelsea and the Danish national team is discussed. Kjaer has almost nothing but praise for his 25-year-old colleague and he sees that Christensen has not reached his ceiling yet. “I think he has all the conditions to become the best defender in the world. He reads the game in a unique way. In addition, he is fantastic on the ball, fast and athletic.”

Still, there is still plenty of room for improvement for Christensen, especially in terms of his personality in the field. Kjaer: “Every now and then he has to shout a little louder, although he has made strides. I think AC a great defender. He has developed both on and off the field during the time he is here (with the Danish team, ed.). But I want to see more of Andreas: I want more personality. He’s made some progress, but I want to keep pushing him a little bit on that front. I want to demand more from him, both on and off the field. It has gotten better and as far as I’m concerned he can decide for himself how big he wants to be,” said Kjaer.

Since his debut in June 2015, Christensen has worn the shirt of the Danish national team 52 times. Under Kasper Hjulmand, the Chelsea stopper forms a permanent base in the five-man defense, which is often completed in the center by Kjaer and Jannik Vestergaard. Also with the Blues Christensen has since become a permanent fixture, keeping Thiago Silva and Malang Sarr, among others, on the bench. Particularly since the appointment of manager Thomas Tuchel, the defender has been able to take steps, as Frank Lampard almost rarely called on him.