New club, new team-mates, new country. Well, more a case of returning home.

Gittens’ five-year spell at Borussia Dortmund came to an end during this summer’s Club World Cup.

But where fellow summer signing Joao Pedro was able to join mid-tournament and go on to star for the Blues, Gittens' inclusion in Dortmund's squad for the competition meant he could only watch on from afar as we lifted the trophy.

The 21-year-old was able to spend a few days with his new Chelsea team-mates, though, on either side of our quarter-final against Palmeiras. That helped when the winger turned up at Cobham for pre-season.

‘It was nice to be around the team at the Club World Cup, to talk to them, to get to know the players and staff members,’ Gittens said.

‘I think it was important to do that so I could get involved with everyone early. It helped with the settling-in period when I arrived at training.’

Like his new Chelsea team-mates, Gittens did not have much of a summer off, and he opted to cut his break even shorter to make sure he was ready for a first season in blue.

‘I went to the Algarve, Portugal, for training since I came back from the Club World Cup,’ he explained. ‘I think I did ten or 11 days out there with a personal trainer, just to get the extra work in so I can stay fit, stay sharp and be ready to play for Chelsea.

‘I did lots of gym stuff and on-the-pitch stuff, so it was really good.’

A combination of that extra work and his time with the squad at the Club World Cup meant Gittens felt ready when it came to the first day of pre-season.

It was a busy first week for the former Reading and Manchester City youngster. After his first three days of training sessions, Wednesday evening saw him introduced to the Chelsea fans as part of the Together in Glory event at Stamford Bridge, before his 21st birthday on Friday coincided with our first pre-season match against Bayer Leverkusen.

Gittens said: ‘It has been really good, it has been fun with all the guys, and training has been really competitive. I have enjoyed it.

‘The people at Chelsea have been really good and I have lots of positive things to say about the club. The facilities are amazing, the training pitches, the gym, the spa, it's all really modern. It has been really easy to adapt to the club.’

Gittens was handed his first outing in Chelsea blue on Friday evening, as he played the final third of our 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen. The winger looked sharp and fashioned a good second-half opportunity for Estavao. He was also on hand to celebrate with Joao Pedro, who added our second goal late on.

The England Under-21 international is one of several new additions to the Chelsea squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign. Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Dario Essugo, Gittens, Jorrel Hato, and Estevao have also joined the Blues squad at various points of the summer.

The oldest player in that group is Joao Pedro, who doesn't turn 24 until September. Yet that youthfulness hasn't proved a barrier to success for Chelsea, and Gittens believes it helps when it comes to the integration of new signings.

The Blues' new No.11 said: ‘Everyone is happy to be back and we have been working hard together on the training pitches. It’s been enjoyable, we have been laughing and joking, but most importantly, we have been working hard. It has been really good so far.’

‘I feel quite settled already, to be honest,’ he continued. ‘I have talked to everyone, they are all good people here – good souls. Everyone is young, has similar interests off the pitch, and it is easy to talk to everyone.’

Gittens’ talent playing for Caversham Trents – coincidentally the same grassroots team as Chelsea legend Fran Kirby – was quickly spotted by nearby Reading.

His ability attracted the attention of several clubs, and he spent time training with Chelsea around the under-9 age group. But after initially opting to stay closer to home, he moved north – and away from his family – at the age of 14 to sign for Manchester City.

A two-year spell, which was hampered by the COVID pandemic and an injury, was followed by another move, as he had opted to follow in the footsteps of Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham by swapping these shores for Germany and Borussia Dortmund to continue his development.

Gittens has blossomed over the last five years, scoring 17 goals and recording 14 assists in 107 appearances in all competitions, with one of those outings coming in the 2024 Champions League final.

So, while viewers of the Champions League, Bundesliga or academy football may have seen Gittens in action, for those who haven’t, what can they expect from our summer signing?

‘First of all, I would say I am a competitor; I want to win games. That is the most important thing. After that, I am creative, direct, skilful, and I love to score goals.’

And finally, his hopes for his time in blue?

‘I just want to win games for Chelsea and compete for the big titles, that is the main thing,’ came the reply.

‘Individually, I want to improve as a player, learn from everyone and just try to do the best I can for the team.’

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