Robben bobbing along at Chelsea

By Trevor Haylett

He has started just one game in England but already his club's supporters are labelling him a modern-day George Best. Arjen Robben's impact with Chelsea FC has been little short of sensational but as usual this imperturbable 20-year-old is taking all the praise in his stride.

International class
His sparkling displays for the Netherlands at UEFA EURO 2004™ whetted the appetite of the London club's faithful as to what could be in store this season with Robben lighting up one flank and Damien Duff the other. Then the Dutchman suffered a serious injury in only the second pre-season fixture and delayed his eagerly-awaited entrance into the Premiership.

Outstanding talent
However, since appearing as a substitute in the 4-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers FC, the acclaim for Robben has been lavish as the team has maintained their impressive start to the season while making up ground on league leaders Arsenal FC. Likening him to Best is proof perfect that the blue brigade believe they have another outstanding talent in their ranks.

Fractured foot
Robben is pleased with the start he has made after recovering from the fractured foot - which then brought on complications to his ankle - he suffered in the game with AS Roma in the United States.

Bad luck
It was not the first time in 2004 that he has had to make a comeback from a period of absence as two hamstring injuries put a temporary brake on his progress and gave opposing defenders a respite from his left-wing trickery. He told uefa.com: "I've been unlucky this year because I've hardly ever missed games in the past, not for [FC] Groningen or PSV [Eindhoven]. It's just one of those things."

Great reception
He was thrilled with the reception the Chelsea fans afforded him a week ago when he had his first taste of senior action for his new club. "It gave me a great feeling and makes you more determined to do well, to give the fans something back in return," he said.

Dutch difficulties
"The supporters in England are so enthusiastic, shouting and singing all the time and always very positive," he added. "It's different in Holland - I remember one game last season when we were winning 2-0 and five minutes before half-time we decided to take it easy and play the ball around. Incredibly the fans started to boo."

Learning process
Although he only turned 20 in January, Robben was ready for a move away from PSV. Manchester United FC were strong suitors but Chelsea demonstrated a determination to tie up the transfer more quickly and that impressed him. "I can learn more at Chelsea than I could if I had stayed at PSV," he said.

Genuine chance
"I knew what goals Chelsea had to win prizes, to build on the young players they already had at the club and for me it was the best move I could have made," he added. "Playing in the [UEFA] Champions League was another big attraction. At PSV the target was just to get out of the group stage but at Chelsea we have a team with a genuine chance of winning the trophy."

Dutch angle
And while he is seeking Champions League success, Robben hopes that his experience in England can help him achieve even more with the Netherlands. "It's a new team under a new manager [Marco van Basten] and it is a new challenge to reach the [FIFA] World Cup finals," he said. "Van Basten was a great player and I'm sure he can be good for my game."

Arjen Robben is one of over 50 players to introduce the new adidas F50+ boot in this week's UEFA Champions League Matchday 4 and UEFA Cup Matchday 2 matches