Cesar Azpilicueta

You arrived at Chelsea aged 22. Eight years later, you are now captain and an important figure at the club. Had you ever imagined you would stay here so long?

“When I arrived here I wanted to become an important player for the club. Obviously, I am very honoured to be the captain and we’ve had some very good moments together over the years. I look forward to the future too”.

With more young English players from the academy in the squad this season, do you see yourself as a bridge between both the older and the new generation in the dressing room?

“I really enjoy the role because we know that we have a lot of young players in the team coming through the academy, some of them are incoming from successful loans or and some are new signings. So my role as a captain is to try to make them as comfortable as possible, to help give them the confidence to express themselves the same way they have been doing until now and to let them know what playing for Chelsea is all about. I always try and help them as best as I can”.

How important have your partner and your family been in helping you to become successful in England?

“She has helped me a lot. When we arrived in England, it was just the two of us. Soon after that we had our first kid - and now we have three kids – so our lives have changed a lot we got here. To have a family and to have them here with me is very important. We spend a lot of time travelling, too. We often take holidays during the breaks and try to enjoy as much time together as possible”.