Former Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell, 28, is aiming for a spectacular return to the England squad for the 2026 World Cup, calling the achievement the “biggest middle finger” to those who doubted him after he was placed in Chelsea’s ‘bomb squad.’
Chilwell, who won the Champions League with the Blues in 2021, tore his cruciate ligament and then his hamstring, forcing him to miss the 2022 World Cup. His struggles culminated when he was deemed surplus to requirements by new Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca.
Now playing regularly at French club Strasbourg, Chilwell told BBC Sport that England manager Thomas Tuchel has assured him his international hopes are “not out of the equation.”
The defender insisted his move to Strasbourg—a fellow club under the BlueCo ownership—was his decision, driven by the promise of regular football and a strong belief in manager Liam Rosenior.
“I was just falling out of love with football because I’d not played – now it’s… the excitement to go into training and play,” Chilwell said, asserting that at 28, he is “really in my prime.”
