The Belgian striker was in reflective mood as he spoke about his childhood fascination with Chelsea, his character-forming friendships during his first spell at the club and his remarkable visual memory, which helps him to analyse his performances in incredible detail.

‘I didn’t have my parents filming my games and stuff, but I could visualise them,’ he explains. ‘After the game, I could basically detail how it happened. If my parents hadn’t been there to watch, I would tell my dad what happened, literally from the first to the last minute, in great detail.

‘Sometimes if scouts had been at the game, they would call my dad and he would say to them, “This is what Rom said happened in the game,” and they would be like, “Yeah, that’s really what happened.”

‘Sometimes if I shoot and I miss, I know perfectly where I made a mistake in my steps, my shooting, my movement, or whatever the case may be. I just know because it’s just repetition, repetition, repetition – at some point, it just becomes a natural thing so that, football-wise, I can remember most things that happen in a game.’

We also spoke to former Chelsea and England goalkeeper Dave Beasant about the club as it was in his days here, during the early 1990s. The legendary stopper painted a vivid picture of a club on the cusp of a great transformation.

‘Being a part of Chelsea history, running out in front of the old Shed, really is an experience that every former player holds close to them,’ he says.

‘Stamford Bridge was so different to what fans are able to see and experience now. I played there in front of the old Shed and it was an amazing experience. The singing, the terrace – it was a great sight every other weekend when we played there.’

This week also marks the 25th anniversary of Matthew Harding’s death, and there is a special pictorial feature in his honour, reliving his brief but memorable time at Chelsea in the mid-1990s.

Club historian Rick Glanvill recalls another of our own, Johnny Boyle, in his ‘Rising Sons’ series, celebrating Chelsea’s greatest youth products.

As ever, Thomas Tuchel, Cesar Azpilicueta, Emma Hayes and our youth coaches have their exclusive columns, plus we bring you all the latest action, stats and facts.

The programme is available online now, or from the many sellers around the stadium on matchday. Don’t forget to pick up your copy.