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Tomori motivated to maintain focus at Chelsea

Cape Town - Fikayo Tomori is determined to keep working hard for Chelsea after earning his first international cap for England against Kosovo on Sunday.

Tomori stepped off the bench in Kosovo as England secured a 4-0 victory under manager Gareth Southgate.

Harry Winks scored his first goal for England, while further strikes from Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford and Mason Mount ensured England ended their qualifying campaign on a high.

The 21-year-old only played the final six minutes but it shows he is in contention for next summer's European Championship.

Southgate selected Harry Maguire and John Stones for the 7-0 win over Montenegro, while Tyrone Mings started on Sunday against Kosovo.

Tomori's call-up could be a sign of things to come for the Chelsea ace after a whirlwind few months. He spent last season on loan at Derby County and made 44 appearances under boss Frank Lampard.

Lampard's move to Chelsea has helped him establish himself at Stamford Bridge but the Canada-born defender says the hard work starts now.

He told reporters: "It's pretty mad. If you told me 12 months ago that I'd make my England debut, I'd probably have looked at you funny because it just seemed so far away.

"But now that I'm here I'm grateful, it's been a lot of hard work and determination, a lot of focus, and hopefully I can make more caps and maintain that focus I've shown.

"I just have to keep on trying to stay focused at club level, continue playing games and playing well, taking the opportunities that are given to me and hopefully the manager picks me in the summer."

Tomori has made 10 appearances in the Premier League this season, helping the Blues move up to third in the league table.

He is set to start Saturday's clash with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, where a win for Chelsea could see them move four points clear of the defending champions.

- TeamTalk Media

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