Arsenal and Germany forward Kai Havertz has shared insights on his career in England ahead of the derby against Chelsea. In an interview with JioHotstar, the player revealed that after six years in the Premier League, he has no regrets, and London has truly become his home.
Reflecting on his early days in England, Havertz recalled his move to Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen in 2020.
“When I first arrived in the Premier League after signing with Chelsea in 2020, I didn’t think too much about it. I was young and wanted a new experience. I wanted to leave Germany, challenge myself, and grow as a player. I thought it might be easier than it turned out to be, but in the first few matches, I realised how intense this league truly is. It was during COVID, so the atmosphere was different without fans, but the pace and physicality still shocked me. In the first few weeks, I was questioning whether I had made the right choice. I was struggling to find my footing and doubting my abilities. The first four to five months were really tough,” he said.
During his time at Chelsea, the German forward claimed the Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup titles, but the journey was far from straightforward.
“Looking back now, having spent six years in England, I wouldn’t change anything about what I did. Even if things didn’t always go to plan and I wasn’t successful in every moment, for me personally — I would never change anything, because it has made me the person and player I am today. Every hardship and setback has taught me something valuable. I became stronger through tough times, and that experience has shaped my character on and off the pitch. London is now my home, and I’m very happy here in this beautiful city. I feel settled, loved, and I sense that this is where I belong,” Havertz added.
The player also articulated why he believes the Premier League is the strongest league in the world.
“A footballer’s career is short, so I want to make the most of it. I want to play as many matches as possible and keep improving, and that’s why I moved to the Premier League, because it is the best league in the world. The level here is astonishing; any team can beat any other, and you have to give your all in every game. Doing that every three days is even tougher. Over the last six years, I’ve seen the league become stronger with each season. Clubs are spending more, signing better players, and the quality keeps rising. But that’s exactly what you want as a professional: to compete at the highest level against the best players,” the striker explained.
Since joining Arsenal, Havertz has transitioned to a new role and helped the club claim the long-awaited Premier League title.
“I started at Arsenal more as a midfielder, but over time I moved to the number nine position. This shift in role has taught me a lot, especially about how to better use my body in the box. I’m a big lad, and I need to use that. I’ve had to learn to hold off defenders, win aerial duels, and get into the right positions to score. It took time, but now I feel comfortable in this role. At the same time, set pieces have become a huge part of our game. We treat them like penalties: every time we earn a set piece, we feel we’re going to score. We work tirelessly on them in training, and it shows in matches. Last season, we scored so many goals from set pieces, and that was a key reason we lifted the Premier League trophy,” Havertz concluded during the JioStar interview.
