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West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini has sent a warning to Callum Hudson-Odoi, who made his full Premier League debut with Chelsea earlier in the week. The teenager was handed his maiden league start for the Blues during the midweek game against Brighton & Hove Albion and he managed to impress by grabbing the assist for Olivier Giroud’s opener in a 3-0 win.

Speaking in a press conference, Hammers boss Pellegrini said that Hudson-Odoi has the credentials to become a top player, but he needs to live to the ever-growing demands of the Premier League, he told: “I think [a] very good player. He’s just starting his career. I always say about those young players starting that it’s not so difficult to arrive, a lot of good players with technical conditions arrive to play in the first team. But after that you must keep it. At the beginning any little good thing a young player does, people will say how good they are. But after that they will demand more.”

“Hudson-Odoi was handed with a surprise England call-up during the international break“ and he thereafter featured in both European qualifier games for the Three Lions. As such, there had been the expectancy that Hudson-Odoi would be handed a maiden start “in the Premier League“ and he managed to do so against Brighton, where he contributed with an assist.

Nonetheless, there are still no assurances that he can command a regular starting role with the Blues and that could yet urge him to pursue a fresh challenge elsewhere. Chelsea are scheduled to entertain West Ham United in the London derby on Monday night and the match could witness some rotation with a Europa League quarter-final tie against Sparta Prague three days later. Maurizio Sarri has refused to confirm whether Hudson-Odoi would start the forthcoming league clash.