Chelsea news: Alvaro Morata takes swipe at Zinedine Zidane while praising Antonio Conte

ALVARO MORATA has suggested Zinedine Zidane didn’t believe in him at Real Madrid - and that’s why he wanted to join Chelsea.

Lampard: Morata was class, but Kane's the best

Morata was re-signed by Real Madrid from Juventus last year but he struggled to break into Zidane’s starting line-up with Karim Benzema the preferred option.

He was linked with a move to Manchester United before Jose Mourinho opted for Romelu Lukaku.

But it proved to be a blessing in disguise for Morata who has quickly settled into life at Stamford Bridge, scoring six goals in as many games in the Premier League including a hat-trick at the weekend against Stoke.

And the Spain international has thanked Conte for showing faith in him to be Chelsea’s main man.

“I came to Chelsea because one club and one coach believed in me,” Morata said. 

“Now I have all of these things and I'm very happy.

"Was it a big move for me to become the first-choice striker? It's the most important thing. 

“It's (moving to England) always a difficult challenge. It's the most competitive league in the world. Yes, it's physical. And it's the league with the most teams who can win the title. 

Alvaro MorataGETTY

Alvaro Morata wanted to play under a coach who believes in him

Morata ran over to the Chelsea coach after scoring the equaliser against Atletico MadridGETTY

Morata ran over to the Chelsea coach after scoring the equaliser against Atletico Madrid

"There are strong teams, but we're very happy because we're fighting for the Premier League too.”

Chelsea return to Premier League action this Saturday against Manchester City (5.30pm) and Morata is under no illusion of the importance of getting a positive result.

“It's another big match, another big Premier League match. It's very important for us before the international break to take the three points," Morata said.

Would you like to receive news notifications from Daily Express?