The Italian international recently celebrated his 31st birthday and the past year has been typically dramatic for him at both club and international level, with silverware success and World Cup qualification heartbreak among the key milestones.

In this exclusive interview, the midfielder was in reflective mood as he looked back on the ups and downs of 2022, discussed feeling at home at Chelsea and in London in his fifth season here, and revealed his memories of Christmases past and present.

Jorgi, 2022 has been quite the ride for Chelsea Football Club and for you individually, with trophy wins, cup final defeats, international disappointment and new beginnings. How do you sum up the past 12 months at the year’s end?

‘It’s been a crazy year! From my point of view, I try to look at the positive side of things and learn from what’s happening, whether good or bad, because that’s life. We need to enjoy the good moments and learn from the tough moments.

‘It happened a lot this year but it’s good for the club and for the group to learn about each other, about appreciation and being grateful. It’s true that we’ve had tough times but at the end of the day we are all healthy and we should be really grateful for another year doing what we love.

‘We have to be conscious that even in tough times when things are maybe not going very well, we are trying our best and giving everything. It’s been a year where we’ve had a lot to enjoy and a lot of tough moments that we need to learn from.’

The return of normal life and normal football following the Covid-19 pandemic has surely also been a big positive, with supporters back in the stadiums cheering and jeering…

‘Yeah definitely, it has been like going back to normal life. It’s amazing that when you go to the stadium, you see all the fans from your team and the other team because that’s what makes football even more beautiful.

‘It’s been amazing going back to normal life and having normal football. Away fans shouting at you is part of the game and I love it. Whoever doesn’t love that doesn’t love football because it’s part of it. It gives you so much adrenalin and so many emotions that you can’t have in many other things you do.’

You’re now halfway through your fifth season at Chelsea. How have you changed as a player and a person during that time?

‘The Jorginho that came from Napoli is essentially the same guy who tries to be his best self but in terms of football I have learned a lot with this league. It’s been just an amazing journey and it’s incredible what this league and this culture can give you.

‘It’s been an absolute pleasure and I’m seriously so grateful for everything. It’s just an experience that I hope many other players can have because it’s unbelievable.’

This is also now your longest time at a club in senior football so how much of that is down to you feeling at home here at Chelsea and in London?

‘I lived in Verona for seven years, Napoli was four-and-a-half years and now Chelsea is four-and-a-half years as well. I love London and I love this club because it has given me so much.

‘My two kids were born in London and I genuinely love London, it starts to feel like a home now and for sure I will be connected with this place forever. I need to be honest because when you reach 30 you start thinking about life after football and London is one of the places I would live after football.’

Only three Chelsea players have more minutes in all competitions than you this season. Having just celebrated your 31st birthday, what is the secret to staying on the pitch?

‘You definitely need to look after yourself a lot more as you get older. It’s all the things that everyone always hears and it sounds like a cliche but it’s the reality of how it is so things like the way you sleep, the way you eat, the way you manage your recovery after games.

‘I try to do my best in every single part around the football side because football is not just going on the pitch and playing. I wish it was as easy as that but it’s not, so that’s the secret which is not a secret. It’s just that people should take it seriously.’

Speaking to some of the youngsters in the group in Abu Dhabi, the one attribute they say they would love to add to their game is your incisive passing. Do you think people give you enough credit for those line-breaking balls forward?

‘Many people just look at the goals and they don’t look at the opportunities that someone else missed, which is obviously part of the game. I’ve heard some stupid things about my first year here like “2000 passes and not one assist”.

‘That statistic is the reality unfortunately but then please also go on YouTube and look at the missed chances, it’s not just about numbers. It doesn’t bother me but it’s crazy that people just look at the numbers like that instead of knowing more about what’s happening properly.

‘That’s why it doesn’t bother me because those who know me and who are here with us every day and understand about football, they know how I am and what I can give to the team so it’s fine. It’s just crazy and makes me laugh sometimes.’

As we celebrate Christmas, take us back to Brazil and how you would mark the occasion growing up back home?

‘It was warm, not cold like London! It was more like Abu Dhabi. In Brazil it’s a bit different because we celebrate on the 24th in the evening. We have dinner all together, we open presents after dinner and then we pray at midnight so it’s a bit different how we celebrate Christmas.

‘I remember having this dinner with my family all the time and then on the 25th we carry on celebrating with all cousins playing together. It was all about family. At that time we were very connected with cousins and uncles coming over and being together.’

What about when you moved to Italy as a teenager?

‘Even in Italy, we had the winter break so I used to go home for Christmas all the time. It was very nice to be able to go home and that’s one thing that I really miss. It’s hard for me in the Premier League because in Brazil it’s a big one to celebrate Christmas and New Year so it’s something that I struggle with a bit. I can’t get used to it but that’s how it is.’

We’ve had a winter break of sorts this year with the World Cup and there will be one fewer match round over the festive period once the Premier League resumes. How important is that recovery time for you?

‘We need to think about the players. It’s been crazy how many injuries we’ve seen with so many games in a row. It’s been tough for all players so having a little time to breathe is quite good and productive.

‘At the end of the day, if you give a little bit of rest to the players then it means the levels will be higher for the next game. It will be a better game and there will be more entertainment for people. When you put in game after game after game, as players we are tired and then how can we keep the level up high? It’s just not possible; we are only human beings.’

This Christmas, you and your partner Cat organised a special charity event in Cobham in support of the Elmbridge Community Project. Tell us what motivated you both to do that?

‘The thinking behind it was that winter is here and we know we are so privileged to have the life we have so somehow we have to give back to help people. The idea came from my partner and I agreed straightaway.

‘It comes from our hearts because we need to try and help people as much as we can. We can’t just look after ourselves - I’m not like that, she’s not like that, so it was a great idea to do this nice event. There was an auction with signed shirts from the squad, boots, balls, tickets for some games, and all the money raised from the tickets and the auction [almost £15,000] went to the local charity.

‘My partner is from the area as well so we chose a local charity to maybe try to make some people have a smile and a better Christmas this year.’