Our summer signing – who bagged two goals in our last pre-season friendly against AC Milan – is settling in nicely at Cobham, where he spoke to our publications team in the build-up to the 2025/26 campaign.

'It’s such an exciting season for me,' he explains, in a wide-ranging interview. 'Coming into this team, especially after winning the Club World Cup, we’ve got so much confidence and belief that we can do really great things this season and hopefully we can continue to win trophies and win games at this club.”

Signing in time for the FIFA Club World Cup – where he also scored his first Chelsea goal, against ES Tunis – gave Delap a chance to get to know his new team-mates immediately, as they spent lots of time together at close quarters over the summer.

'I came here to play big games, so to go straight into a tournament like that was a really good feeling,' he adds. 'I was just excited to get started with this club.

'It’s probably the perfect way to settle into a group because you’re spending a long period of time with everyone. We didn’t really know what it would be like, but in the end it was massive.

'That sense of accomplishment, that we’ve done it. Everyone’s worked so hard towards a goal and then to finally be able to just lift it and you have that feeling of… you know… it’s ours.'

There’s a second exclusive in the programme, as legendary Blues skipper, Marcel Desailly, talks about his time with the club between 1998 and 2004. The World Cup winner was a marquee signing for Chelsea ahead of the 1998/99 campaign, and he is still proud of his generation’s legacy at Stamford Bridge.

'I want to say that we are proud to have built the foundation,' he asserts. 'I say it again, the winning mentality of Chelsea started from us.

'The key thing for us Chelsea players – for that generation, I mean – was that we built a foundation of possession. We started with the possession because you had [Gustavo] Poyet, you had Dan Petrescu, you had Gianfranco Zola, the magician. We’re really proud that we suddenly started to bring something different, building the winning mentality at Chelsea through possession.'

You can also hear from key figures from across our teams at the outset of the new season, as Enzo Maresca, Reece James, Sonia Bompastor and our Academy coaching team keep you up to speed in their columns.

Our new feature, ‘Over Land and Sea’ reflects on the impact of players and coaches from around the world on Chelsea over the years, taking a different country each programme and analysing their part in our history. This weekend, we take a look at the Argentinian influence, from friendlies on the River Plate in the 1920s, right up to Enzo Fernandez’s recent success in blue.

Our popular fan feature returns under a new title, ‘Through the Sun and Rain’, as we continue to tell your stories.

And there’s all the info you need on the game itself, as we take on FA Cup and Community Shield holders, Crystal Palace, in an opening-weekend London derby!

Make sure you pick up your copy from the programme sellers around the stadium, or order online from our official publications partner, Reach Sport.

Digital tickets have been introduced for games at Stamford Bridge this season, and you can find more information here ahead of our Premier League opener against Crystal Palace.

Supporters are being urged to arrive from 1pm to witness a special unveiling ceremony and enjoy a fan appreciation offer. And those who need help in the build-up to our game can access various help points around Stamford Bridge. See the map below.