Former Manchester United star Gary Neville has voiced his likeness for under-fire Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson.
Jackson, who moved to Stamford Bridge from Villarreal last summer, has come under criticism from sections of fans for missing opportunities in front of goal.
But Neville, speaking on The Gary Neville podcast via Football.London, said he likes the player who is just having his first full season in the Premier League.
Jackson has missed 21 big chances in the Premier League, ranking third on the table.
“I actually like Nicolas Jackson. That might be an unpopular opinion on here, but I like him. I think he has a lot to give.
“He’s a young player. I think he cost…not stupid money but it’s his first full season in the Premier League, he’s scored quite a few goals and he keeps going.
“There’s a lot to be said about that. He might not be striker number 1 but if he was your striker number two or number three in a squad of 18 to 20 players, you’d say ‘I’ll take that’.”
Chelsea lost 0-1 to Manchester City in the semifinal of the FA Cup, a game where Jackson failed to score from several important positions. Analyzing the team’s game overall, Neville added:
“So for me, the performance Chelsea put in against Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final was a hell of a performance. Good, really good. And if they had a forward who could finish more consistently than Nicolas Jackson then they would have won the game.
“I think that’s what Chelsea’s owners should be looking at. Performance standards are not consistent and they’re awful when they’re awful – but actually their good looks quite exciting.”