MY FIRST DAY: PART TWO

The first day in any new workplace can often be a daunting one, but how does it feel when you join a top, Premier League football club?

With players returning to Cobham later this week for the start of pre-season training, the official Chelsea website asks members of our squad to take a stroll down memory lane and recall how they felt on their very first day as a Chelsea player.


JUAN MATA
I came from Valencia and met Andre [Villas Boas] in his office where we had a little talk about everything. I then went to Stamford Bridge and completed all the relevant medical checks with the club doctors.

The next day, I flew back to Valencia so that I could say goodbye to everybody properly and then came straight back here. Petr Cech was the first player I met; the players had a day off but because he was injured, he was at Cobham receiving treatment, so we had a nice talk.

ORIOL ROMEU
The first time I came here, I was with Gary Staker [player liaison officer], who explained everything to me and tried to make me feel at ease.

I spoke with Fernando [Torres] and he told me various bits and pieces about the club, then I gradually met all the other players. John Terry went out of his way to welcome me and told me that if I needed anything just to ask him so I was grateful for that.

Obviously, it wasn't just moving clubs for me, it was moving to a new country as well, and to another team with very big players. I'd come from Barcelona, of course, but it was still quite daunting for me.

SAM HUTCHINSON
I was seven-years-old, I remember going down to Harlington, I joined at the same time as Liam Bridcutt, and Gianluca Vialli was the manager. I didn't really meet him properly but I remember getting a signed picture from him when I was injured. Nothing much changes, I was injured pretty much as soon as I joined the club and it's been the same ever since!