Mateo Kovacic has discussed the importance of enjoying football alongside winning titles as a player.
The midfielder is no stranger to silverware, having one several trophies during his time with Real Madrid and Chelsea.
Speaking to Chelsea TV, Kovacic weighed up the importance of enjoying being on the pitch in comparison to winning trophies.
He said: "When I was a child it was more about enjoying but back then it was also about winning. In every sport you want to win.
"Now it is a mix, you need to win titles and win games. If you are on such a level as we are on here at Chelsea. I think these are a good mixture, to enjoy yourself on the pitch but to also give everything to win."
Kovacic played for LASK and Dinamo Zagreb during his youth career before making it at the first team in Zagreb.
The midfielder proceeded to open up on how it was his dream to play football from a young age and highlighted an obstacle that he overcame in order to make it as a professional.
"I love football so much so I never felt it was a sacrifice. For me it is a pleasure to be on the pitch and to go to training every day. I don't mind if it is two, three, four or five hours. I just wanted the possibility to play football." he said.
"It's a tough sport, when I was 14 I had a big injury and broke my leg. This was my biggest hurdle, I spent a year without playing football. To come back at such an age was not easy but I just wanted always to be a football player. I gave everything to come back stronger, I became physically and mentally strong."
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