Chelsea star Havertz explains ‘donkey’ nickname and discusses pressure

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Chelsea playmaker Kai Havertz has revealed that he is nicknamed ‘donkey’ because of his ‘special relationship’ with the animal. The Germany international visits a sanctuary to see the farm animals after a match due to the ‘peace’ it brings him and to ensure that he does not let the losses swallow him.

Havertz has endured a rollercoaster of a time at Stamford Bridge, failing to hit the ground running at the club initially before writing himself into the history books due to his goal in the Champions League final against Manchester City in 2021.

The 23-year-old has been deployed as a striker over the past few seasons at Chelsea due to the absence of a clinical No 9 at the club, and he has performed stoutly in the role despite being best deployed as a midfielder.

Havertz has proved to be a calm presence in the final third when called upon, despite some goalless spells, and his affection for donkeys has been central to him keeping a lid on his emotions. Speaking to The Guardian, the former Bayer Leverkusen star said: “Some of my teammates call me Donkey, it’s not because of my football.

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“From day one, I felt a special relationship with donkeys. It’s a very calm animal: maybe I personalised myself in them because I’m calm too. They chill all day, don’t do much, just want to live their life. I loved them always. And when I lost, I would go to the sanctuary. You look at the animals, see something human in them. It was a kind of recovery, a place I felt peace.”

Havertz then revealed that he would visit a donkey sanctuary after games so that he could ‘switch off his whole body’ due to the pressure and nerves of being a footballer at the top level.

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The playmaker has admitted that he felt scrutinised after making the move from Leverkusen to Chelsea in 2020 due to the price tag involved (£72million), and the pressure he faced at Stamford Bridge.

He continued: “For me, the price was a big thing, I was Chelsea’s most expensive player. I don’t understand how so much money is paid but it is normal in football: look at our recent transfers. That brings pressure because people think you are Messi. I was still 20, 21. People don’t see that; they see the price so you have to be great from day one. You can feel it, the tension. You read it, hear it. I came during Covid.”

Havertz then confessed that he feels somewhat fortunate that he was signed during Covid due to how he felt his performances could have justified some fans booing him.

“The first six months weren’t that good. Maybe [if they’re there] the fans boo you,” he explained. “You feel the cameras on you and I am not raised like this. I don’t want to be in the middle, everyone looking. It was quite crazy at the beginning. At Leverkusen people looked as well, but if you add the price here, I felt it, obviously.”

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