French International and Chelsea star, OLIVER GIROUD, has said that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic across Europe influenced his decision to sign a new contract extension with the club.
Giroud signed a new deal with Chelsea that will keep him at the West London club until the end of the 2020-21 season.
The 33-year-old striker also left Stamford Bridge in the January transfer window for Inter Milan, but Chelsea’s failure to find a replacement saw the France international stay for the final six months of his existing deal.
“I simply seized my opportunity, and I repaid the faith that the manager, Frank Lampard, had shown in me,” Giroud told Chelsea’s website on Monday night.
“That is why the club ultimately offered me the chance to continue my time at Chelsea, and I accepted because I like it here.
“I want to keep winning trophies, and I want to continue to show Lampard that he can count on me.
“Plus, with the whole coronavirus lockdown situation, I did not feel comfortable with the idea of moving abroad and uprooting my family.
“I think a lot about our quality of life and we have a great setup here.
“I think a lot about my family now.”
