Kalou calm under Di Matteo

Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou has declared himself happy with life at Stamford Bridge under interim boss Roberto Di Matteo.

The Ivorian found himself on the fringes of the first-team squad under previous manager Andre Villas-Boas but has since contributed more frequently to the Blues’ progression to the Champions League and FA Cup finals.

And, despite being widely linked with a summer move away from west London when his contract expires, Kalou insisted that he is happy at the club.

He told Chelsea’s official website: “I’m playing regularly and I’m glad, since I’ve come back from the Africa Cup of Nations, under Robbie (Di Matteo), I’m playing at least every other game so I’m very happy.

“I just hope I can help the team pick up the points we need between now and the end of the season and win some trophies.

“The way we were playing, we didn’t start this season in the best way. We dropped a few points and everybody knew it was going to be difficult, but in the last couple of months we’ve fought hard and come back to our top level.”

Kalou went on to express his delight at the possibility of lifting two major trophies this season, declaring that is an opportunity envied by any footballer.

“When you have a chance to end the season like we do, it’s easy to stay motivated,” he added.

“There are only a few games left to play and we know that these games are so important for the history of the club.

“Every player would love to be in this position. We can win the FA Cup, finish in the top four and potentially win the Champions League, which is something every player dreams about, so we are blessed.

“I just take it game by game. Right now, I’m focused on Newcastle. The FA Cup final on Saturday is another game and I will have time to think about that afterwards.

“Hopefully I can get some assists or score a few goals, work extremely hard for the team and show the manager that I’m ready.”

The 26-year-old also praised Chelsea’s Wednesday opponents Newcastle after a campaign which has seen the Magpies become surprise contenders for a top-four finish.

“Newcastle are up there challenging because they deserve to be, they are a very good team with some great players,” he said.

“They’re playing well and they’ve beaten a couple of very big teams. It’s up to us now to go out and beat them to gain an advantage.

“The away game was a tough one, it wasn’t our best period. At the time, everything was going wrong, we kept dropping points, so the result was a great achievement. We played well and we showed that when we play at our top level we are more than a match for anybody.”