'I was called the teacher's pet at Chelsea - I left the club 12 months later'

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Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall joined Chelsea from Leicester City in the summer of 2024 but is now shining for Everton . When he arrived at Stamford Bridge, the Englishman's connection with then-boss Enzo Maresca landed him an amusing nickname.

The Nottingham-born midfielder came through Leicester's youth system to establish himself in the senior squad following several loan stints. He caught the eye in the Premier League but when his team dropped down in 2023, he truly demonstrated his quality.

Dewsbury-Hall proved vital to Maresca's Leicester securing immediate promotion from the Championship as title winners. He collected both the Players' Player of the Season and the Men's Player of the Season awards under the Italian boss.

Following Leicester's return to the Premier League, Maresca was recruited by Chelsea to succeed Mauricio Pochettino . Shortly afterwards, Dewsbury-Hall followed him after being brought in for a reported £30million . Naturally, his rapport with the new manager earned him the tag of 'the teacher's pet' but his spell in west London proved remarkably brief .

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Shortly after completing his Chelsea transfer, Dewsbury-Hall was questioned about the tongue-in-cheek label he'd been given. He said: "A couple of the lads have had a laugh and joke. I don't mind - it's all fun and games. It is quite weird [already knowing Maresca], but it has almost helped me a bit to settle in. It has helped me a lot because I can have more conversations with people.

"It has also helped me get a really good bond with the lads over the last couple of weeks. I've fitted in really well and that is a credit to them because they've been class."

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Yet at Stamford Bridge, the England midfielder couldn't match his outstanding displays from the campaign before. He managed just 13 Premier League outings, including just two starts. The UEFA Conference League provided his main platform as he featured in every fixture as Chelsea stormed to glory, defeating Real Betis 4-1 to claim the silverware.

Despite his rapport with Maresca, who was dismissed at the year's end with Liam Rosenior taking charge, Dewsbury-Hall simply wasn't up to standard at Chelsea. Come summer 2025, he sought a permanent departure.

Everton swooped for the 27-year-old, reportedly shelling out £25m for his signature in August 2025. Since his switch to Hill Dickinson Stadium, Dewsbury-Hall has been transformed, already notching four league strikes under David Moyes .

Dewsbury-Hall is presently sidelined with a hamstring problem that has ruled him out since mid-December. However, speaking before this injury blow, it appears there's certainly more to come from the former manager's favourite.

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"I came to Everton for a reason. I saw something that looked pretty special to me. It's a nice project and I'm glad that it's starting to feel this good now," he said in December.

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