A boyhood Blue since the age of eight, Chalobah has grown up at Cobham and unsurprisingly has plenty of friends among his Academy graduate peers. Yet there is one team-mate in particular with whom he holds a strong bond, a personal connection strengthened by a quest for video game dominance.

The 22-year-old will often while away an afternoon at home online, making use of the various social modes on FIFA to improve his team and his standing on the game, with Callum Hudson-Odoi a regular ally.

‘I like to play on my PlayStation 5,’ says the young defender. ‘It’s good to rest and clear your mind with other things apart from football sometimes.

‘Call of Duty, FIFA and Fortnite are my three main ones and I play with Callum a lot. We have our Pro Clubs team and we’re actually pretty good!’

Shirtless table tennis!

‘Table tennis is my favourite second sport after football. I always play with my uncle, my dad and my brother.

‘It gets pretty competitive and we start taking our shirts off as well because it gets so heated. If I wasn’t a footballer, I think I’d probably be a table tennis player!’

‘You have to be ready to play for a massive club like this!’

‘If I’m not playing a lot of games, I tend to do stuff to keep myself fit and ready. It’s really important to look after yourself outside of the club so I do quite a bit of exercise on my own.

‘It’s not easy playing for a massive club like this so I have to maintain my fitness, be consistent and make sure I’m ready to give it my all for training and games.

‘It’s important for the mental side of things as well. That’s a big part of the game now so I try to get the right balance. Sometimes I go home and do a bit of work but other times I’ll just chill out and watch Netflix.’

‘I like being different!’

‘I’ve had so many different hairstyles over the years – the half-blond, half-black as well as black with blond tips. I had orange hair for Lorient when I was on loan there.

‘I like being different, being myself and unique. If we win a trophy, maybe I’ll go all blue for my next change!

‘I change things up a lot but it’s not for everyone. Callum tried a new look recently but he knew that and ended up just going back to basics.’

Cover star!

‘Fashion has been a passion of mine since I was young. Obviously you see stuff on TV and find a lot of fashion artists online and on Instagram. It’s been my other passion for a long time now and I want to get into it even more.

‘When I was in France, I did a cover shoot with an upcoming Italian brand called Valore. They released some new stuff and asked me to do some modelling. I really enjoy doing things like that and France is obviously one of the best places for fashion.’

Dressing room verdict?

‘Most of the boys have their own good style. I’d say Chilly Ben Chilwell has a good style – he’s got nice trainers and baseball caps.

‘I collect caps and trainers as well so it’s good being around others who also like their fashion. Callum is into his fashion too but I know I’ve got better style than him!’