Roma star Tammy Abraham admits he wanted to leave Chelsea to ‘explore and learn a new culture’ and opens up about his life in Rome, on and off the pitch.
The England international joined the Giallorossi in a €40m from Chelsea in the summer. He’s had a great impact in the capital, having scored 17 goals in 32 appearances across all competitions this season.
“After a while, you settle in, find a house, start to explore, go to restaurants, now I am enjoying it, it’s good,” the Roma star said in an interview with Pro: Direct Soccer on Youtube.
The 24-year-old had spent all his career at Chelsea. Why did he leave?
“I got to the point that I needed to leave and explore,” he said.
“All I knew was Chelsea. It’s nice to explore, learn a different culture, a different language. It’s different, but I am enjoying it.
“I was at Chelsea from 6-7 years old, I was playing football at home with my brother, destroying all the decorations. My mum had a friend at work who had a football team in Greenwich and he said: ‘Just bring him and we’ll see, maybe he’ll join the team.”
How about his time with the England national team?
“I remember when I made my debut. When I went to the camp, I was nervous. I didn’t know what to expect. Now it’s fine, everyone is chilled, it’s a nice place to be and everyone wants to win.”
What does he like to do off the pitch?
“Go out to eat, now and then, I am in Italy…so I won’t lie about the food. It’s nice. I am learning about Rome. The other day I went to see the Colosseum just walking around, not inside. I play Warzone with [Manchester United winger Jadon] Sancho every day, he is quite good…but I don’t like the new map. Not at all.”
Watch the full interview below: