Chelsea winger Jamie Gittens says he has been told he will feature in new manager Xabi Alonso's squad plans for next season, praising the Spaniard as a "world-class midfielder" who commands respect from the squad. The 21-year-old struggled to make a significant impact in his debut campaign after his £52m move from Borussia Dortmund last summer, as Chelsea endured a difficult season, finishing 10th in the Premier League without European football or a trophy.

Gittens said Alonso has urged him to stay positive, keep taking on defenders and keep creating chances, recalling how tough it was to face Alonso's title-winning Bayer Leverkusen side while playing in Germany. He is optimistic that new arrivals such as British record signing Morgan Rogers (£117m), a former academy teammate at Manchester City, will help raise standards as Chelsea aim to "win everything" again. Having recovered from a hamstring injury that ended his season early, Gittens says he is around 90% fit and has already scored in pre-season matches against Crawley and Bromley under Alonso.