The Blues took on Johor Darul Ta’zim in the fifth and final friendly fixture of our summer tour, which had taken in Sydney, Hong Kong and Indonesia before concluding in Malaysia on Sunday.

A pair of Liam Delap penalties and a late own goal earned a 3-3 draw against the Malaysian champions after Essugo had led the Blues out as skipper for the first time, an unexpected but welcome honour.

‘It was a surprise to be captain, but for me, it was a pleasure,’ said Essugo after the game.

‘I didn't expect to be captain at this age for this big club, so for me it's just a pleasure, and I enjoyed it a lot. For me it means everything, because I didn't expect it.

‘I feel like it's a message for me and for all the players, that it's not about the age, but maybe about your maturity, so it's about learning and staying positive.’

Essugo underlined that he is grateful to our manager for handing him that opportunity, with the midfielder explaining why he is pleased to be working under Alonso since he took over in the dugout at the start of the summer.

‘I’m enjoying working with the manager,’ Dario continued. ‘We mentioned it a lot in this pre-season, but he was a very good player.

‘It was a surprise that he gave me the captaincy but I’m very happy. He's a very good person, so for me this is the most important thing.’

As our pre-season tour comes to an end and the Blues return to Cobham to continue our preparations for the coming campaign, Essugo also expressed his gratitude to the supporters who gave Chelsea such a warm welcome in Malaysia and throughout the tour.

‘It was very good,’ he added. ‘It was my first tour in three years, so it was a very nice experience for all of us, and we are very happy and ready to come back.

‘It means everything to play in front of fans around the world. For example, we landed at 3am yesterday and there were lots of fans waiting for us at the hotel. This is huge for us, and we are very happy, and of course, they deserve everything on their end.’