Callum Hudson-Odoi thought Tuchel was joking when he asked him to play wing-back

The 21-year-old has been with the Blues since the Under-8's age group and burst onto the first-team stage as a direct forward player.

However, the arrival of Tuchel initially saw Hudson-Odoi consigned to the bench, before he made a return to the first team squad in a rather unusual wing-back role.

Able to exploit spaces from deep and drive at opposing full-backs, the youngster has regained his form under the German and has developed his game tremendously.

With Tuchel keen to operate with three at the back, it is a system which now suits the former forward.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Hudson-Odoi admitted he thought it was a joke from his new manager when asked to move further back.

"When the manager first came in and he told me to play wing-back, I was just a bit in shock," Hudson-Odoi told talkSPORT. "I thought it was a joke.

"Obviously, when I played there, it was different. It suited my game a little at that time and I think that he's come in and he's given the freedom and the instruction to the team of how he wants everyone to play and what he wants from the team to try to win games.

"He knows what he wants to win and so do we. So we are playing as hard as we can and to the best level we can to obviously win every game.

"When he has come in, he has given us that extra motivation, extra courage and push to know that regardless, he is going to push us to our hardest level because he wants the best out of us.

"It's definitely a good thing to know that he is coming in with the motivation and determination to try to win games and win trophies.

"We are going to keep pushing until we reach our main goal."