If Blues fans have plenty to thank Carlo Ancelotti for after he was at the helm of the first Chelsea side to win the domestic Double, in 2010, we have even more to be appreciative of when you consider his role in one of the most important transfers in our history.

Having taken the reins at Parma in 1996, Ancelotti decided that Gianfranco Zola would be most effective on the right-hand side of midfield, rather than his preferred role off the striker, amid an abundance of attacking riches at his disposal.

Zola obviously disagreed. He sought pastures new. And that is when Chelsea came calling.

Where the Blues and Glenn Hoddle had failed the previous year to prise him away from the Stadio Tardini – frightened off by a £10m price tag that, in hindsight, looks a bargain – a disappointing start to a season which had followed a disastrous Euro 96 for Zola offered the Blues a second chance.

This time Ruud Gullit was at the helm and, having snapped up a number of overseas stars already in his brief tenure, he was able to add the cherry to the icing on top of the cake.

Here’s the story of the signing in Zola’s own words, told as part of an interview for the book Blue Days.

‘I only found out later,’ he said of the Blues’ first attempt to sign him during Hoddle’s time as manager. ‘I didn't know at the time. I think they tried through Parma and the club said no.

‘Then there was the Euro 96 and Italy didn't do very well and I didn't do very well. My reputation went down. Also, with the club things didn't go well so they dropped the price.

‘Joining Chelsea happened quite fast. I spoke to Roberto Di Matteo and Gianluca Vialli, they were already here and we were playing in the Italian national team together, so they told me how good it was to play for Chelsea and in the Premier League.

‘It was already in my mind to have an experience abroad, so when they actually came to ask me, it was finalised within a few days, one week.’

According to Zola, there was no overwhelming need to put things right on these shores after his experience at the Euros, which played out across England – instead, it was all about trying something new, at a time when he was approaching the final years of his career.

‘On one hand I wanted to have the experience abroad and on the other it was to leave Parma, which at that moment was struggling a bit. It was very simple: I just wanted to do well and to enjoy my football. If I enjoy something and do it with a smile on my face, things happen.

‘There was not a big picture. I wanted to be successful and to enjoy it. Then things started to take shape later on, but my mentality was very simple and it was good to go into this new experience in this way.’

Perhaps the best thing about it all was the freedom he was afforded, both on and off the pitch. Zola was known to football aficionados – particularly those who enjoyed Football Italia, Channel Four’s iconic offering of regular Serie A action – but he was far from a superstar.

‘I enjoyed my time in Italy very much and if it wasn't for Serie A I probably would never have become the player that I was. It was very competitive, very strong and that makes you better.

‘But I came to a stage where I probably needed a little more fun. Not only all the time pressure, pressure, pressure. In that sense, England was perfect. It was a very competitive league and at the same time players used to have a lot of fun. This was one of the reasons I really liked and enjoyed it.

‘There were a lot of very good things about playing in Italy. The preparation, the attention to detail when it came to food, rest, everything. There were a lot of things. But it was also very, very intense.

‘It was getting to an extreme where you couldn't laugh before a match, you couldn't go for a walk in the centre, it was very stressful. So, when I came over here to England, I enjoyed it – it was like going back in time when I played football for fun.

‘Ruud was also very good for me as the manager. He chose me, but above all he let me play with my freedom. He allowed me freedom on the pitch and in the mind. He also gave that type of mentality to all the team. That's why we were very appreciated by everybody for the style.

‘I learned to be less serious and more relaxed. When I say less serious, people get confused – they think you are not paying attention properly. I was facing the game in a more relaxed way. That is how the best comes from you.

‘The first year [at Chelsea], as an example, the focus was always spot on but the participation was more like not so much involved, a little bit more detached, and that allowed me to be a bit more free in what I was doing.

'Everything came together like magic. I was playing in a state of mind where I was just playing freely. Focused but free. The Chelsea fans sing Carefree and for me that is how it felt.’

Zola remained at Chelsea until the summer of 2003, having played 311 games, a club record at the time for most appearances by an overseas player. His tally of 80 goals doesn't tell the full story of his influence, as he was as much a creator as he was a scorer, and his wizardry with the ball at his feet left fans gasping in disbelief. He was one of a kind.