The midfielder's Chelsea career, by his own admission, has been stop-start. Injuries have made it difficult for the Belgian to find his rhythm at Stamford Bridge, although when fully fit, supporters have seen the qualities he brings to the side.

This season, Lavia has started our opening four Premier League fixtures under Xabi Alonso. He has impressed, looked sharp, and helped cover the absence of Moises Caicedo – the Ecuadorian's only minutes this term came as a second-half substitute against Brighton and Hove Albion.

It's no surprise, then, that Lavia is feeling confident and has a renewed sense of purpose at Chelsea. He is determined to show everyone what he is truly capable of.

‘This season feels different because I'm in a different…let’s say mindset or space of mind,’ explained Lavia. ‘We've done a lot of work over the summer with all the people at the club to make sure that we could get everything that's happened before behind me. So far it's going well. I'm very happy and long may it continue.

‘To show up under the lights on the weekend is the last part of the puzzle; there is so much that goes on behind the scenes. It's the constant analysing of all the aspects that you want to tick off before being ready to play on the weekend. It's a big process, but we're doing well at the moment.

‘I've learned that you can always go further than you think you can. You can always push your limits, especially when you feel like everything is going against you. It's always so easy to just think about giving up, or think that no matter what you do, it's only going to go back to the same point where you started.

‘Luckily, with the help of my team-mates, the staff, everyone at the club and outside, the people close to me, we've been able to create a sort of bubble where you just concentrate on what you can control, and then everything will come out on top.

‘It's been a little bit stop-start since I've joined, so it's a bit frustrating, but the reason why I'm so excited about what's to come is that, whether it's in training or games, I feel the love from my team-mates.

‘I feel like they trust in me, which is then giving me the confidence to go and express myself without thinking about what's happened. That's something that really helps me.’

That love was evident when Lavia scored his first Chelsea goal earlier this season. He found the net in our 4-3 win over Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge, sparking emotional celebrations as the rest of the players rushed to congratulate him in front of the home fans.

‘To be honest, when it first went in, I didn't really believe it because it's just been so long,’ the 22-year-old admits. ‘I had kind of lost that feeling of scoring, but thinking back, it was an amazing feeling. Then, straight away, all my team-mates grabbed me. So it was a very good moment to experience.

‘It was just a moment where I felt free, where it feels like all the work that you're putting in, you're getting the reward for it.

It was a very good but very emotional moment at the same time, so I wanted to express it as much as possible with the fans. I really loved it.

‘Especially because I wanted to change the narrative. My first Premier League goal was against Chelsea, so I always felt like it was a bit strange.

'Then I've seen all my team-mates score at Stamford Bridge and the atmosphere that it would create, so I was waiting for it to be my turn. When it happened, I was just very happy and excited.’

Of course, it is for far more than that goal that his team-mates, the supporters and Alonso are so pleased to see Lavia back in the Chelsea midfield, with the quality of his performances this season making it seem like he has never been missing. If he was feeling any pressure to make up for lost time, he certainly hasn’t shown it.

‘Responsibility is something that has always been part of my game as well, to take responsibility and have some character,’ Romeo added.

‘I really like being in that position and also being at this club, having this responsibility. It's not even pressure; it's just like a privilege. So I'm actually living the dream. It's just like: “Okay, this is what you've been playing and training all these years for, so just go and enjoy it.”’