Malo Gusto smiles when he talks about his footballing beginnings. Long before the Chelsea defender was marauding down the right flank in the Premier League, he was a kid who couldn’t quite decide where he wanted to play.
He told Telecom Asia after Chelsea’s 3-0 win over Wolves:
To be honest, I used to play as a midfielder and then a winger as I was growing up.
At the beginning I used to play everywhere. But the thing is that it helped me a lot now because I’m happy to play anywhere and everywhere. That thing I did as a kid helped me a lot to understand every position and understand the game better.
It’s a trait that has served him well in his time at Chelsea. Gusto’s adaptability, he believes, is one of his greatest strengths.
I think I take this ability to play everywhere as a quality and I try to do my best wherever I play. Being able to play in multiple positions can help, especially when it comes to things like the World Cup.
But I also think it depends on what the game demands. Whether it’s as a right-back, a winger or even a midfielder, if you’re a good player, you have to understand everything that is going on around you, no matter the position.
That versatility was on show again this week, capped by a moment he’d been waiting for, scoring his first goal as professional player as Chelsea beat Wolves.
He added while grinning:
I have been waiting for it. I was very happy, very proud, but I’m hungry for more.
The Frenchman’s first goal for Chelsea marked another step in his growing confidence under the lights at Stamford Bridge. And while his strike drew the headlines, he was quick to praise those around him, particularly Alejandro Garnacho, whose influence he was happy to highlight.
Gusto says of Garnacho:
As a winger he has a lot of quality. In the box he’s got the quality to decide games, which is what the gaffer has asked the team to do, for the wingers to dribble one-on-one, and that is what he did tonight.
He helped us a lot with his crosses and his penetrations, and we are so happy for him tonight.
Off the pitch, Gusto sees a different side of the young Argentine.
He smiles:
I think he’s two different persons. He’s a top guy, very quiet and he works a lot as well. He has a great mentality too and I’m very happy to play with this type of player.
Still only 21, Gusto’s journey from a free-roaming kid to a polished Premier League right-back feels like the story of a player still discovering the edges of his own game and still eager for more moments to define him.
