Euro 2012

Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko has been having specialist coaching from a top sprinter to help him recapture his pace.

Team GB sprinter Darren Campbell has confirmed that he has been working with Chelsea’s Andriy Shevchenko this season to help the former AC Milan sharpen his speed.

And Campbell believes Shevchenko is now beginning to show the benefits.

The Great Britain athlete said: “The club asked if I would work with Andriy and I said it would be a pleasure.

“While [Jose] Mourinho was at Chelsea he was a bit funny about anybody from outside working with the players.

“So for the first sessions I had to do it on Andriy’s tennis court. Now he’s [Mourinho's] gone I can do it at the club.

“That’s how serious he is about sharpening up.”

With help from Campbell, Shevchenko is gradually showing new Chelsea manager Avram Grant that he still can still make an impact at Stamford Bridge.

The Ukrainian came on as a substitute in Saturday’s super-show against Manchester City and scored the sixth in the 6-0 demolition of Sven-Goran Eriksson’s team.

Shevchenko: I’ll play my best for Chelsea
12/10/2007

With Didier Drogba unlikely to feature for Chelsea until next February, Andriy Shevchenko is determined to take full advantage of another opportunity to prove his suitability to English football.

Drogba has undergone surgery on his injured knee, leaving the path clear for Shevchenko to again try and justify his £30million transfer fee.

The Ukrainian responded with a goal in the 2-0 win against Sunderland on Saturday and will now hope to get a run of regular matches in the team.

He said: “Three points - this is very important for every team because with the other teams doing well it’s important that we do well in every game.

“I am very happy that the manager gave me the opportunity to play, that I scored a goal and that the team win, that is very important.

“The team is important and if the manager gives me a chance I need to play well for the team. I think Chelsea have a lot of very good players within the team.

“It’s an important result and we feel better with each game. It is very important to be in the team and the manager has given me the chance to play. I’ll do my best for the team, the club and the fans.”

Victory on Sunday at the Emirates Stadium would put Chelsea level on points with league leaders Arsenal, but Shevchenko, who has scored three times in his last five appearances, is wary of the quality of Arsene Wenger’s team.

“It’s a very important game, Arsenal play great, great, great football,” he said.

“They are first in the Premier League, it will be very important, and a very difficult game.”