Dewsbury-Hall played under Maresca at Leicester City as the duo helped the Foxes earn promotion back into the Premier League last season. Now Maresca is the new manager at Chelsea and Dewsbury-Hall is one of the first additions to the Blues squad this summer, and former Leicester striker Smith believes the 25-year-old will continue to be a mainstay under his longtime boss at Stamford Bridge.

Speaking to Genting Casino, Smith explained his belief that Dewsbury-Hall will be a key player for Maresca despite Chelsea's current glut of midfielders.

"When your former manager buys you like that, it indicates that he will be a key player for Chelsea," Smith said. "Kiernan would have obviously spoken to Maresca before the move about his role within the squad, and I think all of Chelsea’s other midfielders will be thinking to themselves that if the manager has brought this guy with him, he’ll be starting on day one.

"Chelsea have got so many players haven’t they? They will need to move a few of them on you would think. Connor Gallagher is a name that is constantly spoken about in terms of the club wanting to sell, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is a similar type of player.

"Enzo Fernandes was signed for a lot of money. Caicedo also. Chelsea have got a wealth of midfielders to choose from.

"You would think that because Maresca has signed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, he will know exactly what he wants to do with him and have a plan for him. He will be foremost in the manager's thoughts.

"It’s a great move for him, and he's a very good player. We’ll have to wait and see what type of role he has, but logic suggests that he will start. Maresca's got to cope with the challenges that Pochettino had to face and will be trying to keep all of his players happy while forging a cohesive unit. it will be fascinating to see if he can do that."

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