Chelsea starlet Tomori finally has a claim to fame bigger than breaking Diego Costa’s nose
FIKAYO TOMORI finally has a claim to fame to outshine breaking Diego Costa’s nose.
The Chelsea defender, 21, was still a schoolboy when he came off best in a training-ground collision with the fiery Spain striker.
Tomori has a hard head in many ways and, thanks to his durability, is now heading off for his first international week as an England player — and luckily they are not playing Spain!
Tomori said: “I was still in school and I didn’t actually know I’d done it.
“It was an accident. We both went up — he headed the back of my head and broke his nose.
“I didn’t know until the next day when it was all over the papers. I was getting a lot of messages as if I had meant to do it.
“I got a bit of stick. It was light-hearted, a lot of banter.
“I got back to school and people were asking me.
“But he was all right about it. He didn’t kick me in training after that!”
“But [Costa] was all right about it. He didn’t kick me in training after that!”
Fikayo Tomori on breaking Diego Costa's nose
Tomori has played only six Premier League games for Chelsea after spending last season on loan under Frank Lampard at Derby.
But he joins three Blues team-mates — Ross Barkley, Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham — in the England squad to face Czech Republic and Bulgaria.
He will most likely be on the bench for Friday’s clash in Prague and the Canada-born centre-half admits it has been a whirlwind, with two Champions League games under his belt already.
Tomori, also eligible to play for Canada and Nigeria, had to bite his tongue after getting a call-up last week.
He said: “Frank told me in the changing room after the Lille game, so I knew a day before and I had to keep it a secret.
“I told all my family and then it was announced on Thursday.
“I had no idea it was coming at all. Frank told me and I was like, ‘Oh’. It was obviously a nice feeling.
“I was waiting for a call-up because at the last international break I didn’t get one from anyone. It wasn’t England all the way.
“I had certain people and certain things that I had to consider.
“I spoke to my family and that’s the decision I came to. When England came calling, it was difficult to say no.
“I was going to be happy with whoever called me up — but it’s nice it is England.
“Last season, I wasn’t expecting it but I never put a time limit on it. It was more a case of, ‘I’ve got to give my best for my club and just try to get in the squad’.
MOST READ IN FOOTBALL
“Now, to be here with England, it’s just a mad turnaround for me.”
Tomori will not be playing alongside Fabian Delph, however, after the Everton midfielder, 29, withdrew from the squad with a hamstring injury.
Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate opted against calling up a replacement.