In an interview for the official Chelsea matchday programme, the 37-year-old Brazilian reflected on the recently concluded season, his strong sense of affinity with Blues fans and the trophy he is especially keen to win in 22/23.

How do you reflect on Chelsea’s 21/22 season?

In general, it was a good season – not excellent. We finished in the top three and over the course of the campaign we had a couple of cup successes and we lost a couple of cup finals. It’s not what we wanted, but it was okay.

It’s the small details. When you look at it, if we had won the two penalty shoot-outs (in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup finals), it would have been an excellent season instead of a good season because you always remember those who win.

Liverpool won the two penalty shoot-outs and it was an excellent season for them. If it had been the other way, it would not have been quite so good for them and it would have been a great season for us because we would have been celebrating winning four competitions instead of two. But it’s what people remember – and those small margins are what make the difference that win you competitions.

Is it harder in some ways to lose like that than to be beaten outright in normal time?

It’s hard to lose in any circumstances. It’s always hard to accept a defeat, but it does make it worse in a sense to lose on penalties because someone has to miss, and that player might have had a great game – it’s just in that moment, they miss. So that’s why it’s so hard to lose in that way because it’s a collective team effort and not down to an individual.

It’s been a long season – we’ve played 63 games, and yet you seem to still be in tip-top condition at the end of it. How have you managed that?

It’s about discipline, especially at my age. Playing at such a high level requires a lot of discipline, from controlling how you eat to how you recover. It’s all very important. I know it’s been a long season but I feel good, I feel happy for the season that I’ve had.

It’s a testament to your fitness and discipline that you have signed another extension to keep you at the club next season.

Yeah, it’s strange. You come for one season and you don’t know what’s going to happen because people look at you and maybe have a few doubts because of your age. But I was happy to accept for a second season and now a third – and who knows, maybe even a fourth after that!

I’m happy here, my family is happy and that helps a lot because when things go well outside of the pitch, it can only go well on the pitch as well. I feel well in London, I feel at home. Even when I first came and we had no supporters inside the stadium, I felt the love from the fans on social media and that goes a long way. We play well when we feel at home and we feel well.

It is special, very special, when you receive the love of the fans. I was lucky to receive that love from the fans at all the clubs I’ve been to, from Fluminense, to Milan and Paris, and now here. As a professional, you just want to work hard and do your best. As a child, all I wanted to do was play football, and then to be appreciated as you play the game is indescribable. Feeling the love of the fans while you’re on the pitch makes me feel very proud because it seems so simple what we do.

You still inspire people in part because you’re at the top of your game into your late 30s…

I feel happy to be a reference or an inspiration to other people, for the youngsters that are now starting to play, and can look and see how far into their lives they could play – until 38 or 39. I feel happy to be able to be playing at this age and know that it can be an inspiration to others.

So, after signing for another year, what do you want to achieve here next season?

Honestly, the Premier League. It’s a dream, something that I crave. All the national leagues I’ve played in before, I’ve won, and the Premier League is no different in my eyes – it’s something I really want to win.

Obviously, we won the Champions League last season, and now I have the Premier League in mind. That’s not discarding the Champions League, or any other competition in any way, but the Premier League is the one I really want to win.