This year is the tenth anniversary of the 2014/15 Premier League title win. Can you believe it has been that long already?

‘It’s crazy, isn’t it? The time has flown by. Obviously, I have such fond memories in a Chelsea shirt.

‘When I do interviews, people often ask, ‘What is the favourite trophy that you have won?’ And it is natural to reply with the Champions League in 2012 – which was huge – but close for me was that 14/15 season because as an Englishman growing up watching the Premier League, having the chance to then play in it and getting to the level where you are playing for a club who can compete in it, to then win it was an amazing feeling. That title win was right up there for me.’

I know it is a cliché, but was it quite literally a dream come true?

‘Yeah, it really was. I can’t explain it to you. In cup competitions, you can sometimes get a bit of luck and you get a decent draw to get to the latter stages, but in a Premier League season, whoever wins the title deserves to win it because of the consistency you need throughout.

'With the start, middle and end of a season, the different injuries and other hurdles which come up, to be that consistent during a season to then ultimately go on and win it, winning the Premier League in 2015 was, without doubt, one of my best moments playing football and certainly a dream come true.’

Was it even more special because you had such a huge role in the title win? You were in the Premier League Team of the Season, so does that make it even sweeter when you are integral to a title win?

‘Definitely. I always wanted to be a big part of what is happening and be involved with everything.

‘When I look back now, the best years were the ones when I felt fit. I felt strong, I was at a good age and everything aligned in those few years. I was in the Premier League Team of the Year a few times around that period, and it is something that I am proud of.

‘I felt like those were my peak years and it was great to be a huge part of it. Contrast that to when I won the FA Cup for the first time in 2012, I was injured and it was a different feeling. I was, of course, absolutely buzzing still and thrilled for myself, the lads and the club, but it was a different feeling when you are not on the pitch.’

What was it about that team that was particularly special? Why were you a title-winning team?

‘Around the time I joined, it felt like winning trophies was embedded in the players. They had success because they were good, experienced, and hungry. I bought into that as soon as I stepped foot in the door here.

‘We had that mixture of younger players and the seasoned professionals who had been there and done it, that blend meant you had players who knew what it took to achieve that and players like me who had not quite yet achieved it and we could learn from them to help us get over the line in some ways.’

You had Jose Mourinho in charge that season. What was it like playing for him?

'I had good experiences with Jose. I won the Premier League and the League Cup with him, and Jose and Chelsea together equalled titles.

‘I was dead excited when he came back because I hadn’t worked with him before, so I asked the lads about him and they spoke very highly of him and said, ‘Gaz, you will love him; how hungry he is, how determined he is and how he works'. So I was excited when he was appointed and had the chance to work with him.

‘There can be ups and downs with Jose because he is very demanding and very intense. But ultimately, I have great memories with him, winning the Premier League and the League Cup, and I had great experiences from playing with him.’

Was it a season where, even in pre-season, you felt we could win the Premier League? Or was there a particular moment in the season when you started to believe?

‘There are probably two parts to that. I knew going into the season we had the firepower and the capabilities to challenge. It would be arrogant of any team to say going into a season that you are definitely going to win it, but I felt like we had a chance to get up there.

‘Then as the season goes on, you start to get that momentum and that feeling that you can beat anyone. It is the consistency and the momentum that breed confidence. We went into games super confident, and even if we went a goal down, we knew we had the capabilities to get back into the game. There is no better feeling than that. You had full belief in the players that we could get to where we wanted to be.

‘The more the season went on, the more I believed we would win the Premier League.

Fast-forward to the end of the season, what were your emotions when you finally got your hands on the Premier League trophy? Something you had grown up dreaming of doing, and now you were standing on the podium with it in your hands?

‘It is hard to put it into words. All of the months that had gone by, all of the hard work and dedication was rewarded with the biggest prize in English football. It was amazing.

‘All of my memories of winning trophies at Chelsea – and that Premier League in particular – are celebrating with the whole of the squad – the manager, the staff – because everyone is involved in making it happen, and then also your family are there too.

‘The combination of the two things means it is difficult to put into words what it meant. It really was a dream come true.’

You have touched upon my next question there: the focus is always on the players, but you only have to look around a training ground to see the number of staff members involved at professional football clubs. How important were those backroom staff members in making it all possible?

‘If you ask players, they don’t underestimate it. It was certainly the case when I was a player and I’m sure if you asked the lads at Chelsea now they would say the same thing.

'It is important as players to recognise that and treat everyone accordingly because it is a real team effort – the likes of the pitch grounds staff, the kitchen staff at the training ground...everyone is involved.

‘When we won the title, I felt the staff knew that because they celebrated it equally with us, and I think that is a powerful and special message.’