After recovering from a serious knee injury, the Chelsea left defender is focused on making Gareth Southgate's squad for the tournament in Qatar.
Next season, Ben Chilwell hopes to have a significant effect for his club and country.
A year later, on a steamy July day at Chelsea's Cobham training facility, Ben Chilwell, who did not participate in any part of England's journey to the European Championship final, made it clear that a fire had been stoking inside of him ever since.
The fact that England's opening World Cup game against Iran occurs almost exactly one year to the day after Chilwell injured his ankle in Chelsea's Champions League victory over Juventus in November is a weird twist of fate. His knee issue, which was later determined to be a partial ACL tear, kept him out of action until the final day of the season, when he was granted a brief opportunity at Stamford Bridge.
According to Chilwell, the injury occurred at just the right time in a peculiar way. After his knee buckled again while training on Christmas Day, he had the opportunity to recover from surgery, acquire strength, and improve his fitness. Additionally, the impending World Cup gave people more incentive to complete"that little 1%" helped him heal.
Chilwell was hurt while competing for Chelsea against Juventus in the Champions League.
He says, "I was fortunate. "I had no pain four and a half months following the operation. I never actually had any difficulties. It was as simple as it might have been with regard to an injury of such nature. I was fine and made progress at every turn. I felt like moving more quickly, but that would have been foolish as I was growing impatient.
The 25-year-final-day old's appearance against Watford gave him a psychological lift and allowed him to put the season behind him.Since then, he has taken some time off "to forget about football for a few weeks," and he has entered preseason at peak physical condition. I am completely prepared to get started, he declares.
The same is true of his club. Stamford Bridge has experienced some difficult times lately, to say the least, but with the new owners in place and the outgoing executives, there is a reinvigorated feeling of purpose.
What was it like for the players during those turbulent weeks following Roman Abramovich's punishment and the club's sale? It wasn't truly discussed, according to Chilwell. "Our job is to play football and win games, so we have a job to do.They are in charge of handling all other jobs, about which we are in the dark.
"When the transaction was finalized, we didn't really feel the weight of it, but perhaps for the club it relieved the weight off everyone involved. We can go on now that it has been addressed. We have new ownership, which is wonderful; they appear eager to become engaged and make significant financial investments in the team, which is good. The location of the club is ideal.
There are still many difficulties with the squad that need to be resolved, such as finding someone to take Antonio Rudiger's place now that he has gone for Real Madrid. According to Chilwell, Toni was one of the team's most important players the previous season.Making sure everyone maintains their standards "around the practice field, in the locker room before games."
Chilwell has resumed preseason practice in preparation for the next season.
However, more significant than new hires is the assurance that Thomas Tuchel would stay with the team. Chilwell claims that consistency, which comes with stability, is what separates Chelsea from the top two teams, Manchester City and Liverpool.
He says, "As players, we have complete faith in the management. "We are aware that we won't find a better management here. I don't just say that. There is stability now.The season before had no potential snags, so now it is up to us to put in the effort and attempt to achieve some consistency on the field.
Chilwell has never had a problem working hard; as a teenager, he had to grit his teeth in order to succeed at Leicester City. "I had to work much harder than anyone else to get it," he says. "I was the last person at Leicester to get a scholarship. That was the first time in my professional life that I realized my natural talent wouldn't take me very far.
"During the summer, we had six or seven weeks free, but I worked practically every day. The following season, when I returned,I was the team's fittest member. After six months, I was training with the first squad and serving as captain of the youth team. It demonstrated to me that hard work may pay off.
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