Chelsea new boy Juan Cuadrado lifts lid on ‘witch’ nightmare

Juan Cuadrado has claimed that a bizarre nightmare in which he is chased by a witch is the reason behind his energetic performances on the pitch.

The Colombia international, who moved to Chelsea from Fiorentina on transfer deadline day, made his Premier League debut for the Blues in Saturday’s 2-1 win at Aston Villa.

Up to now, she has not caught me yet

Juan Cuadrado

The 26-year-old is renowned for putting in hard-working shifts on the pitch, and the midfielder, who played the final 10 minutes at Villa Park on Saturday, has lifted the lid on how a recurring nightmare has influenced his style of play.

“I run between 10km and 12km during a match and that is why, after having played, I tend to go to sleep late,” Cuadrado told the Sunday People. “It’s because I still have all this adrenaline inside my body.

“In the past, I had this nightmare in which I run and run – and a witch is running behind me.

“When she is about the catch me, I get up. Up to now, she has not caught me yet.”

MORE: Cuadrado reflects on ‘great’ Chelsea win

Cuadrado, who was one of the stars of last summer’s World Cup in Brazil, completed a £23.3m move to the west London side from Serie A outfit Fiorentina last week.

Chelsea are now seven points clear of defending champions Manchester City at the top of the Premier League thanks to their win against Paul Lambert’s men.