‘He looked in the mirror and said “what do I need to do to get myself back in the team?”‘: Ashley Cole heaps praise on Olivier Giroud for fighting back from the brink at Chelsea after his winner against Norwich
- Giroud kept the Blues on course for the Champions League on Tuesday night
- It was his fifth goal in his last eight Premier League appearances for the Blues
- He appeared destined to leave in January before his remarkable renaissance
Former Chelsea defender Ashley Cole heaped praise on Olivier Giroud after the veteran striker kept the Blues on course for the Champions League.
The 33-year-old France international guided a header past Tim Krul on the stroke of half-time after Christian Pulisic created space for the cross on the right.
It was his fifth goal in his last eight Premier League appearances and he was recently rewarded with a contract extension.
Striker Olivier Giroud celebrates with Christian Pulisic after scoring againstr Norwich
Cole lifted the lid on his remarkable renaissance.
He told Sky Sports: ‘Overall as a threat, Giroud was definitely Man of the Match.
‘I think at the start of the season, Tammy started playing, scoring goals, Giroud was a bit-part player at the time.
‘I watched them train a few times… his attitude, his mentality, he’s willing to work, he looked in the mirror and said “what do I need to do to get myself back in the team?”.
The 33-year-old France international guided a header past Tim Krul on the stroke of half-time
‘I think he’s won the group back together. When you see a senior player training hard, the younger kids thrive off that and he’s getting chances again.’
Giroud signed a one-year contract extension in May to keep him at Chelsea until the end of the 2020/21 season.
The World Cup winner appeared destined to leave the club in January amid interest from Inter Milan and Tottenham, but a lack of alternative options saw Chelsea keep hold of the experienced striker.
Giroud won his place back in the side following an injury to Tammy Abraham and had been proving useful asset in the weeks leading up to the season being suspended amid the coronavirus crisis.
Former Chelsea defender Ashley Cole heaped praise on Giroud after his impressive display