Cape Town - Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas says he is willing to give everything to impress manager Antonio Conte in order work his way into the starting team.
Despite a glittering career so far, the 29-year-old former World Cup winner has found himself in a fringe role at the Blues since Conte was brought in as the club's new head coach.
The Italian's tactical system requires midfielder's to have high work-rate, stamina and energy, which some may claim Fabregas lacks but the former Arsenal midfielder has been knocking on the door with his recent displays off the bench.
"I always give my everything," he told reporters after his brace against Leicester in the EFL Cup.
"I've been training very hard. It is a new situation in my career after 13 years of basically playing everything for my club and national team.
"It has been tough. I'm not going to deny it. But the last thing I will do is complain or put my hands up and give in. Something from inside is coming out stronger than ever.
"I just feel like a little boy in training trying to win my spot back as I used to do at Arsenal when I was 16," he added. "Hopefully I will achieve it again. After my family, football is everything to me. It always has been.
"Hopefully I can open his eyes and make him see that I deserve to play. I'm not going to deny I want to play every single minute. It's what I work for. But the coach chooses 11 he thinks is best suited to win the game. And that's it."