Chelsea’s David Luiz believes he is a natural leader and hopes to follow in the footsteps of club captain John Terry and Frank Lampard.
Luiz, 25, says he has to take responsibliity for helping out the young players arriving at the club, in particular Brazilians like Oscar.
“This is a big club,’’ said Luiz. “Every little mistake is highlighted. Criticism does get to me. You ask: ’Why are they saying this? I tried my best, why can’t they see I’m trying?’ I can be sad for one or two hours, but the rest of the day I need to be happy because the team needs me to be positive. My brain needs it.
“At a big club when you have bad moments sometimes, you need to be strong. I understand some people criticise. If you can’t take that, stay at home and work at another job.
“I was captain at Benfica at 21. I know my personality is to be a natural leader. At this moment, with the team’s leaders of many, many years out of the team, I need to take responsibility of the team myself and help the young players.
“Like Eden Hazard, a great talent and an amazing player but someone who needs support. He’s only just arrived in the Premier League, like Oscar. Some of the others are more shy like Ramires. My shoulders are broad. I can take that extra responsibility. I love it.
“Every day ‘work, work, work’. This is the key to football. Because if you don’t, other guys work more than you do and they kill you. I love playing football. If the manager wants me as a striker, a right back, a winger, I’ll do anything to help the team.
“If a coach came up to me and said he had three goalkeepers injured and no one else available, I’d give it a go.”
