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Exclusive: Ex-Albania defender Dede amazed by Broja talent - 'Chelsea the right club for him'

 


Former Albania defender Nevil Dede admits he's been amazed by the emergence of Chelsea striker Armando Broja.

Broja has signed a new six-year contract this month after it was decided by management that he would be registered as a Chelsea player with the Premier League for the first-half of this season.

Having spent time away on-loan over the past two seasons with Vitesse Arnhem and Southampton, Broja, at 21, is now seeking to make his way as a senior proposition at Chelsea.

For Dede, Broja's chance this term is no surprise. The KF Tirana coach has followed the striker's progress since his first call-up to Albania's U19 team three years ago.

"When I first saw Broja, I thought he had to be from another nation and not like us because I could see some qualities in him that I had never seen before in Albanian players," Dede told Tribalfootball.com.

"He has great speed in contrast to other Albanian players, I just haven't ever seen someone with these qualities."

Dede won 31 caps with Albania as a centre-half, facing the likes of Michael Owen and Ruud van Nistelrooy during his international career. While reluctant, for now, to place Broja in such company, Dede has no doubts about the Albania international's potential

He continued: "So we should see how fast he will develop or mature, the only thing that I wish for him is that he has his health and plays as many minutes as possible.

"He is at a great club where he can be developed and become a very important player.

"Also, for his age, he's already becoming perhaps the most important player Albania has."

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