Chilwell reveals All Blacks 'no d***head' policy was drilled into him by his dad

Chilwell's dad is from New Zealand and has instilled the core values of the national rugby team on his son.

The All Blacks famously have a 'no d***head' policy, meaning no one is bigger than them team and all pull together as a unit.

"I've definitely been made aware of it by my dad," Chilwell said.

"He'd like to tell me all the time that the All Blacks are the best team ever to play sport. The way they go about things is very proper and the way that he tried to bring me up was on a lot of their ethics and morals."

Chilwell's father Wayne is a Māori speaker who can perform the haka and the Chelsea defender added: "He translated it to me when I was watching a game of theirs against the Lions maybe 10 years ago.

"With the All Blacks, it is doing everything right, not taking any shortcuts, being respectful. Whenever you put your mind on something, do it properly. Do it 100% or don't do it at all."

The left-back enjoyed a brilliant first season as a Chelsea player last term, following his £45million arrival from Leicester City, as he helped the Blues win the Champions League title.

But, despite his European Cup success, he endured a frustrating summer as he did not play a single minute at Euro 2020 as England reached the final.

Chilwell then had to bide his time with Chelsea before finding his feet in Thomas Tuchel's side.

But now he is enjoying a good run in the side - in fact, he's one of the club's top scorers this season with three goals - and looks likely to get his chance in Gareth Southgate's England side with Luke Shaw struggling with a head injury.

"It was difficult," Chilwell said of the summer. "I've been asked quite a lot recently since I've started playing and the way I've answered is a cliché but it's football.

"These are things that are going to happen to the majority of players in their professional career where they have low moments, high moments.

"The way I try to look at it, I was disappointed that I wasn't playing in such a massive competition in England. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed.

"But the way I was trying to go into the whole thing was that it happens to a lot of people in football. I just need to make sure I'm ready, I'll come through this stronger and better on the other side."

He added: "I think it wasn't so much mental fatigue. I think it was more I was so eager to get back playing football, it was maybe coming across that I wanted it a bit too much.

"Me and the manager at Chelsea had a very honest conversation where he did say to me 'you know, I feel like mentally at the moment you're just, in training, you're pushing a bit too much to try and get back in the team - we love you here, we know the qualities you possess just relax a little bit, you're going to get back in'.

"Which for me was brilliant to hear and then it was just about being patient and making sure that I was ready so that when I was called upon to play I could do my best for the team."