Chelsea’s Jackson has as many bookings as goals, but the gesture shows a softer side

NICHOLAS JACKSON has as many bookings as goals in the Premier League and at first glance looks like a bust.

But SunSport can reveal there is a secret softer side to the 22-year-old Chelsea forward, one that is in stark contrast to his public image.

Senegalese Jackson didn’t own a pair of football boots until he was 16, while growing up in the poor town of Ziguinchor.

It’s something he never forgot and was the inspiration behind a personal relief mission to help the children of his old hometown.

While playing for former clubs Villarreal and Mirandes in Spain, the kind-hearted Jackson saved his teammates’ spare kits throughout the season.

Old boots, shirts, socks, shin guards. You name it, he took it all home and packed it up.

At the end of the season, Jackson stacked the ticket into a dozen large boxes and brought it all back to Ziguinchor – to give away to local children.

Chelsea’s enigmatic striker paid the excess baggage charges out of his own pocket, which cost more than four times the price of his plane ticket.

Despite playing in LaLiga, Jackson did not earn relatively much money at Villarreal. Even less at second division team Mirandes.

But it didn’t stop him from digging deep to help the kids at home.

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The £30million star has had a turbulent debut season in the Premier League.

But after a difficult start, which saw him rack up five bookings and a suspension before the end of September, he is now settling down.

He has already scored nine top-flight goals – one fewer than the total scored by Didier Drogba in his debut season at Stamford Bridge before becoming a Chelsea legend.

And boss Mauricio Pochettino said: “You can all see now how he is improving. The hardest part was supporting him when things were tough.

“He has the quality and the capacity. Now he is doing much better, but he still has a lot to improve. The numbers are comparable to Drogba’s in his first season.

“That might give the fans more belief in him and make them a little more patient with him, but as always it depends on the circumstances.

“He was the only striker and we demanded too much in every match and in every action: ‘Score, score, score!’ It is not easy.

“Now I hope people start to understand that he has the condition to be very good.”

You all see now how he is improving. The hardest part was supporting him when things were tough.

Mauricio Pochettino

Jackson admits that adapting to English has been a challenge and could be indicative of the short temper he’s working on.

But being willing to fight for your team isn’t always a bad thing.

He also employs subtle changes in his routine to achieve marginal gains.

Sleeping at least eight hours every night, adjusting his diet with the help of Chelsea’s expert nutritionists, and eating precise portions of vegetables, carbs and protein to get the most out of his body.

Poch added: “A player arrived here who needed support, needed help, had to perform, but over time had to adapt to the club.”

Chelsea welcome Ben Chilwell, 27, back to the squad for tomorrow’s FA Cup quarter-final against his former club Leicester.

The defender missed Monday’s 3-2 win over Newcastle with an injury.

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