Chelsea team-mate lauds Kepa's 'fantastic' first season in England | OneFootball

Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Green believes Kepa Arrizabalaga will only get stronger after a “fantastic” first season at the club.

Kepa joined from Athletic Bilbao in a deal worth a reported £72m last summer and the Spaniard went on to make 53 appearances in his maiden campaign, keeping 23 clean sheets along the way.

And Blues third-choice goalkeeper Green has been thoroughly impressed by what he’s seen from the 24-year-old so far.

“Kepa for his first season in the Premier League has had a fantastic season, and one that he will get stronger off the back of,” Green told the club’s official website.

“He’s a young guy. The amount of football he has played is impressive, going away for internationals, travelling all round Europe as well.

“He has maintained his levels throughout. His talent was there – it doesn’t take an expert to see that. But this is still a very young lad.”

Chelsea face Arsenal in the Europa League final later this month and it’s a competition Green says has taken a lot out of them this season.

“The Europa League is an interesting tournament. What I have learned is you realise how much it takes out of the team and how demanding the schedule is.

“The boys are coming back from a long way away, you’re talking Greece or Ukraine, landing on a Friday and you look at the lads and the staff and they’re dead on their feet, and you’re thinking we’ve got another game in 48 hours.

“The standards that have been maintained throughout despite the demands is something that is truly a credit to the lads and everybody involved with the club.”