Champions League win is why I joined Chelsea, says Ben Chilwell

The left wing-back played an integral role in the final as the Blues saw off Pep Guardiola’s City side

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Ben Chilwell admitted that winning the Champions League was why he joined Chelsea after the Blues defeated Manchester City 1-0 in Porto.

Summer signing Kai Havertz scored his first goal in the tournament to fire Chelsea to their second triumph in the European Cup after their famous win in 2012.

Chilwell, who swapped Leicester for London in the summer and lost the FA Cup final to his former team earlier this month, claimed that the win in Porto was why he moved to Stamford Bridge.

“We fought so hard. We knew it would be a tough game. The second half…we fought for our lives to get to this moment, to have this feeling,” he told BT Sport at full-time.

“This is what I came to Chelsea for. It’s a dream come true.”

Chilwell praised the performance of fellow wing-back Reece James and stated that being substituted in such an important game was never an option, despite his fatigue.

“We knew their strengths – the key was to get tight and be aggressive.

“They were going to cause us problems so me and Reece had to be on our game. I got tired as the game went on but when the Champions League is up for grabs, that’s not an option.

“Everyone defended for their lives. We’ve won the Champions League so I wouldn’t even care how we played!”

Chilwell joined the Blues last summer for an undisclosed fee, reported to be in the region of £45 million. He saw a potential equaliser in the FA Cup final ruled out for offside by VAR, but secured the first trophy of his senior career with this victory over City.