'It’s a dream coming true,' he says of this game between his boyhood club and his new side.

'It’s been a long time since I played against Ajax, but it will be nice to see my old coaches, my old team-mates – actually everybody I know from there. And it will be nice playing against them.

'I had a good time there. I was a young guy from the academy who came to the club at 12 years old. I grew up to be a regular player in the starting eleven and I had some good seasons.

'I think it helped me to make the step to Chelsea and fit in the team here wherever I’m needed, because with this coach we have a lot of different styles that we can play against different opponents, and ways to use the full-back. So I'm comfortable with it.'

In a wide-ranging interview, Hato also looks ahead, discussing his new surroundings at Chelsea and his hopes for the future.

'We have a good group,' he says. 'The boys are good and nice guys.

'I think we can do really great things in the Premier League, and also in Europe – you could see it in the Club World Cup. I have the faith, trust, that we have a lot of quality to achieve some big things this season.'

There’s a healthy dose of nostalgia as we mark Ajax’s visit by looking back at our 4-4 thriller in 2019, reminisce about the influence of two legendary Dutch coaches – Ruud Gullit and Guus Hiddink – on Chelsea’s identity, and delve into the story of Jack Kirwan, who was in our first-ever starting line-up in 1905 and went on to become Ajax’s first manager!

With all the info you need ahead of the big match, and the latest from around the club, make sure you don’t miss out. Pick a up your copy from the programme sellers around the stadium, or order online from our official publications partner, Reach Sport.