Alejandro Garnacho takes in his new, blue surroundings in west London. The LED boards that encircle the Stamford Bridge pitch are emblazoned with his name and the iconic rampant lion which sits proudly at the heart of the Chelsea badge.

It's a special and momentous moment – and those closest to Garnacho are with him in SW6 to share it. The boy who watched the Blues as a youngster, bought the club's training wear, and idolised Eden Hazard, is now a Chelsea player.

‘I’ve seen those pictures of me in that Chelsea kit,’ Garnacho laughs as he strolls around the perimeter of the pitch, taking in the sights and sounds of his new home. ‘I really liked watching Chelsea when I was younger.’

Naturally, as a young player with a penchant for dribbling, goalscoring and the spectacular, Hazard was a point of reference for Garnacho as he honed his football talents in Arroyomolinos, a southeastern suburb of Madrid.

‘I loved Eden Hazard,’ he continues. ‘Eden was one of my idols and a big reason why I watched and supported Chelsea a bit when I was younger. He was such an incredible player, playing in the same position that I wanted to, coming inside, scoring goals – he was crazy good.’

Having spent countless hours watching Hazard dance past defenders in the very position he will now occupy at Chelsea, Garnacho is excited to weave his own story into the fabric of the club.

Born to a Spanish father, Alex, and an Argentine mother, Patricia, Alejandro also recognises that his journey to the Bridge isn’t just a culmination of his incredible work on the pitch, but also the amazing support he has received from his family.

‘It’s great to have them here in this important moment for me – they always support me,’ he smiled.

‘My dad has been one of the most important people on this journey. When I was young, he was at every training session, no matter whether it was raining or a long journey. I think it’s important to me to have them all here as I make this next move.’

It would be his father who would guide him down this path, starting his footballing journey in the Spanish capital.

Garnacho said: ‘I must’ve been three or four years old when I started kicking a football. I wasn’t massively interested to begin with, but my dad got me involved and said I had to play football! Then I started to enjoy it, and I couldn’t stop playing. I just wanted to win.’

Never afraid to take a risk in the bid for success, and following a five-year stint at Atletico Madrid’s academy, the then 16-year-old opted to move to a brand-new country in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Garnacho relocated to England and signed for Manchester United in October 2020. He had to quarantine for two weeks upon his arrival, had his early training sessions limited to 75 minutes due to restrictions, and contact between team-mates was minimised.

It was far from the ideal situation for a young player to assimilate into life at a new club, a new country, and a new culture. Yet Garnacho believes those difficult moments helped shape his indomitable winning mentality.

‘It was really hard moving to England at that time,’ he reflects. ‘I was lucky that I had my family with me, but it was tough. I grew up quickly during that period.

‘Everything was different from Spain. Obviously, the weather, but the people, the culture, everything. It took time. I had to start doing English lessons over video calls [because of the restrictions] to try to get myself up to speed quickly.’

His resilience and adaptability were showcased over the next few years. He won the FA Youth Cup with United, made his first-team debut at 17, and scored his maiden Premier League goal at 18 in a last-gasp victory over our neighbours Fulham.

His rapid progression culminated in scoring the crucial opening goal of the 2024 FA Cup final victory over Manchester rivals City. It's a day and a moment that gave Garnacho the insatiable feeling of success – one he believes comes naturally to the Club World Cup champions, Chelsea.

‘These types of moments give you the taste, and you want to keep winning,’ Garnacho, who made 147 appearances for United, says. ‘When you get to a final, you want to score goals and win the trophy. This is my mentality.

‘I have a winning mentality. I have passion and a big personality. It’s a natural fit with a club like Chelsea, which have just won the Club World Cup.

‘Chelsea are at the top now, and it’s important to fight for the club like the fans deserve. I watched the Club World Cup, and to join the world champions is special – it means we’re the best team in the world!

‘It’s not common to have played a lot of games at this age, but it has helped me a lot. I’m only 21 and I have a lot of experience from these different types of games, stadiums and moments.’

A move to Bridge also means that Garnacho will link up with compatriot Enzo Fernandez. And it’s fair to say that our No. 8 is excited to be playing alongside Alejandro.

Garnacho smiled: ‘I spoke to Enzo during the summer because he had been asking a lot of times, ‘When are you coming, when are you coming?’

‘I kept saying that he had to be patient, and we would play together. He texted me when I joined to say congratulations, and I can’t wait to see him and play together. I had to be patient too, but now I can’t wait to get started.’

That patience has given way to opportunity. Garnacho is ready.