Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, 27, is turning heads for a talent far away from Stamford Bridge – his impressive ability at table tennis.
In a recent appearance on the BBC’s ‘Match of the Day’, as relayed by British outlet TalkSport, Chalobah revealed that if he had not become a professional footballer, he might have pursued table tennis instead. He spoke boldly about his level, admitting he plays constantly and considers himself “really good” at the sport.
The Chelsea academy graduate, now an important figure in the club’s back line, explained that his enthusiasm for racket sports runs in the family. His uncle and father both played tennis to a strong standard, and their influence drew him towards table tennis, which he noted shares many similarities with the traditional game.
Chalobah also reminisced about competitive battles from earlier in his career. During a loan spell at Crystal Palace, he frequently played intense table tennis matches with Eberechi Eze, now 28 and at Arsenal, describing Eze as highly skilled and their contests as fiercely fought. He added that he loves organising summer table tennis tournaments in the garden with friends, often accompanied by cocktails, underlining just how much he enjoys the game.
The defender is now looking forward to testing himself against his current Chelsea teammates. A table tennis table was recently installed at the training ground, and Chalobah is eager to discover who among the squad can offer him a proper challenge. He even tipped winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, 22, who joined from Borussia Dortmund before this season, as a possible standout, suggesting that his sharpness and intelligence could translate well to the table.
On the pitch, Chalobah has cemented his status as a key starter in Chelsea’s new setup under manager Liam Rosevear, who took charge following the dismissal of Enzo Maresca. He completed the full 90 minutes in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal on the 15th, a match Chelsea lost 3–2. Despite a brace from 22-year-old Alejandro Garnacho to keep Chelsea in the tie, Arsenal prevailed thanks to goals from Ben White, Viktor Gyökeres and Martín Šubić, leaving Chalobah and his teammates with work to do in the return leg.
