The Brazilian has been working hard on his fitness since the Europa League final in Baku and was ready to hit the ground running when he arrived at our Ireland training camp on Monday.

‘It’s amazing to be back, it’s always a great feeling to be here and working with the boys,’ the defender explained.

‘It’s about getting back on track and working hard again, playing football for this amazing football club and working with the young players too.

‘It’s important to take care of yourself, particularly as you get older! But yes you have to stay disciplined, get in shape and arrive here ready to adapt as soon as possible to the new philosophy.

‘I’ve had many pre-seasons and I know how hard they can be, so over the summer I was keeping myself ticking over to ensure I was ready to hit the ground running when I arrived back for pre-season.’

The 32-year old arrived at our training ground in Dublin yesterday and was greeted by our new head coach, Frank Lampard, a man David knows very well from their time together as team-mates.

With the arrival of Lampard and Petr Cech, who also recently returned to Chelsea as our technical and performance advisor, our Brazilian defender feels the future is bright with a number of Blues legends at the helm, who know all about the high standards expected at Stamford Bridge.

The defender is also excited to work with the new boss and explains why his leadership and dedication as a player will hold Lampard in good stead.

‘It’s great to see him here,’ added David.

‘He’s someone who knows what it means to be at Chelsea and understands the DNA of this club. We are working well so far, everyone is getting along and the sessions have been great.

‘Lamps, or should I say ‘Gaffer’, is now our leader and he’s going to try to do everything he can like he did when he was a player, and now it’s up to us to help him build the spirit and the philosophy around the club to be successful. The club is so big and it’s great to work together, and I’m including the Academy and the Women’s team in that too. We are all Chelsea.

‘He was a leader as a player, so already he was trying to do his best for the team and it’s not a surprise to see him as a manager. In fact I think it’s great. It’s fantastic to see players who know Chelsea so well coming back to the club, particularly leaders like Lamps and Petr [Cech].

‘They will be great for us, and they will continue to do their job as best as they can, just wearing a different shirt this time!’