Moises Caicedo has revealed why Chelsea was the only club for him when picking the next step in his career over the summer, and the Blues legend whose shirt is one of his most prized possessions.
The Ecuador international made the switch from Brighton & Hove Albion to Chelsea in August, when the Blues got our man after identifying him as the perfect option to bolster our midfield.
For a moment it looked like we might miss out on Moises Caicedo, when Liverpool emerged as late rivals for his signature, but the 22-year-old has confirmed there was never any chance of him playing his football anywhere but Stamford Bridge this season.
‘I was talking with Chelsea for a long time,’ explained Caicedo. ‘It was impossible to say no to Chelsea, because they were with me, supporting me.
‘In the summer I suffered a lot because it was complicated to leave Brighton. Chelsea were with me, and in the last moment Liverpool called me but it was too late because I wanted to play for Chelsea. It was tough to say no to Chelsea.’
The chance to follow in the footsteps of one of his heroes no doubt also played a part in Caicedo’s desire to pull on the famous Blue shirt in the Premier League, as he revealed which of his midfield predecessors left him starstruck when playing against us two seasons ago.
‘N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba were my idols in football, I loved watching them,’ he added.
‘Meeting N’Golo Kante, it was amazing. I was at Brighton, on the bench, I think it was 1-1. After the game I ran straight to Kante to swap shirts. He said: “yes, of course”. He was very kind with me. It was an incredible moment for me because I met my idol.
‘It was the same with Paul Pogba and I swapped shirts with him. I have the shirts back in Ecuador. Nobody can take the shirts away. They are so special to me.’
Now he is a Chelsea player himself, approaching the halfway stage of his first campaign at the Bridge, Caicedo is learning all about what it means to represent the Blues. He admits the pressure can be difficult when things aren’t going our way, but is confident he and the team will achieve success given time, especially with the help of our head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
‘We have a good relationship. He protects me from the criticism. He has been really kind and patient with me.
‘He knows who I am and that is why he is relaxed with me. I’ve only been here four months, I didn’t do a good pre-season because it was tough for me. I’m sure I’m going to really show my quality, to show who I am.
‘At Chelsea you always have to win. Always, every game, if you don’t win you feel the pressure, because the fans always want to see the team winning.
‘Sometimes it’s difficult because the other teams are tough as well. We know we are Chelsea, but we are a new team with young players. Personally, I’ve only been here four months, everything is new for me.
‘I think it’s about time. It’s going to take time. I know that this moment, it will arrive, because in football there will be good and bad times.’
Hopefully there will be plenty of good times to come for Caicedo at Chelsea, starting with our next match on Saturday, when we host Sheffield United at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League.