Nobody in our squad has been playing professional football for as long as Willy Caballero, and the Argentinean goalkeeper says he is enjoying passing on advice to our legion of young stars who have burst onto the scene.
Willy Caballero is in his third season at Stamford Bridge, and during that time has been a regular for us in the early rounds of the Carabao Cup. He was between the posts against Grimsby Town last month, and will be hoping to feature when Manchester United come to town tonight with a quarter-final spot at stake.
You have to go way back to 2001 for Caballero’s senior debut as a professional, for Boca Juniors against Newell’s Old Boys. Plenty of his current Chelsea team-mates were still in nappies then, and it clear he is now relishing his role as a senior statesman in the dressing room.
‘I feel good, so I don’t have a problem to be the most experienced player, I am proud of it!’ the keeper stressed.
‘As an experienced player the most important thing is to open doors and be a good human group, push all together, and to involve all the new players as quickly as we can because it’s the best way to achieve a high level.
‘The young players grew up in this club so they know what they have to show. The most difficult thing is then to actually show it, which they have done so we are happy.
‘It doesn’t matter your age; we have to be ready to fight for the opportunity to play. We believe in ourselves because we represent Chelsea. Every player that is here can do this job, but to represent Chelsea means a lot. There is a lot of hard work to do in every single game, it doesn’t matter who the team in front of you is.’
Caballero is one of a number of our players to have worked with Frank Lampard before his appointment in the summer, when the pair were team-mates at Man City during the 2014/15 season. It is a time he remembers fondly.
‘I have a lot of funny memories with him from training. I spoke to him about them when he arrived. It is good for me to have this season with him, but now he’s in a really different position so I have to be more serious with him!
‘He has been a breath of fresh air for everyone, for the players and the club. The way Frank showed how he wants to play, it took us a little bit of time, but we are doing everything that he wants.
‘We are really happy and we are training really hard in a very good way, with a very good mood. We are on a really good run and we will try to continue that.’
Watch: Willy Caballero's story on the Junior Blues website