Nestled between the cities of Malmo and Lund on Sweden’s southern coast, and separated only from Denmark by the Sound, lies a small town by the name of Lomma.

It was here that Filip Jorgensen was born, but several of his formative years would be spent in altogether different climes, some 1500 miles away, first on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca and then Spain’s mainland.

The diversity of his upbringing has shaped the man and the footballer Filip is. At his core, though, are typical Scandinavian traits: calmness, coolness, and a certain confidence that has helped him get to where he is today.

Born to a Danish father and a Swedish mother, Filip sees little difference between the two countries and cultures. The 22-year-old feels equally Danish and Swedish and has represented both at international level.

It was his father’s passion for the game playing for an old boys’ team in Sweden that triggered our goalkeeper’s love of football. He has never let go.

‘My first memory of football is playing in my local team in Sweden, GIF Nike, when I was five,’ Filip tells us.

‘That was the age you could start playing for a club. The pitches were very close to my house so I was always there with my dad, my dad’s team, my older brother, my younger brother, and my friends.

‘I was an outfield player then, a striker. When I was six, I joined Malmo. It’s not far. I wanted to try something a bit more difficult. I was too good for Nike!

‘I just enjoyed it when I was young,’ he adds. ‘I tried to enjoy every day. I trained a lot at Malmo. And when I came home, I trained with my dad’s team. I just loved playing football.’

Filip started goalkeeping around the age of 10. At Malmo, when the numbers were whittled down from 100 to 20, he had made the cut. Big news in Lomma, it was the first indicator to Filip he had something a little bit extra.

But, aged 12, his settled life in Sweden was turned upside down. His parents, who ran a hairdressing salon company, wanted to try something different. The Jorgensen clan headed for Mallorca.

‘I wasn’t okay with that,’ recalls Filip. ‘At Malmo we were very good. We won everything every year, so I wanted to stay.

‘But it was a good decision they made. It helped me get here. It broadened my horizons. You got to see things from another perspective. I thought Malmo was the biggest thing, but then I came to Mallorca and nobody knew Malmo.

‘Also, the training for goalkeepers was very different at that young age. We didn’t have any goalkeeping coach or trainer in Malmo. In Spain, when I was 12 years old, in a lower team - not even the Mallorca team, it was Penya Arrabal - they had a goalkeeper coach and good training. I learned a lot.’

The Jorgensens returned to Lomma after a year in the Balearics, and Filip rejoined Malmo, interspersing his studies with training sessions – often three times a day.

‘I didn’t like school, I just wanted to play football,’ he recalls. ‘I didn’t have to study much. I would train in the morning, train in the afternoon, and train with my dad when I got home to Lomma. It was always my choice to do it. I enjoyed it very much.’

Real Mallorca had spotted Filip during his year with Penya Arrabal, a ‘friend club’ of theirs, as the goalkeeper puts it. They had offered him the chance to join them prior to his return to Sweden. A year later, he asked if that offer was still on the table. It was.

Back to Mallorca he went, this time to sign for the island’s main team. Just 12 months later, in the summer of 2017, Villarreal came calling.

‘I signed my first pro contract then, when I was 15. It was a very good feeling. I was very happy. It was my dream to go to the academy of a big club.

‘The hard work had just begun. I always enjoyed it, though. For me, it was never hard work. I enjoyed training extra and doing my extra things. I work a lot in the gym to be more explosive, to jump higher. I watch a lot of other goalkeepers.

‘I always had that desire to work hard. It could be why I am sitting here.’

Aside from adapting to different environments in Spain, Filip says he barely suffered a setback during his formative years. His development progressed smoothly until three or four years ago, when he was promoted to the first team squad at Villarreal as their third-choice keeper.

‘Football means everything to me, it’s my whole life, but at that point, it was too much,' he says. 'My head got bad.

‘I was living alone in my apartment in Castellon. I came home thinking about training, and watched football. The next day I went to training again, came home and thought about the training the whole day.

‘One moment I realised it was too much. I had to talk to people and try to be more social. I tried to do something most afternoons away from football, to be with some friends, to try to disconnect.

‘After that, I found it easier to be a better goalkeeper and a happier person. They go hand in hand.’

Filip hasn’t looked back. At the start of last season, he grabbed the chance to be Villarreal’s number one, making more saves than any other keeper in La Liga. His seven-year association with the Yellow Submarine ended in July with his move to Chelsea.

‘As a boy from Sweden who watched a lot of football, I always knew about Chelsea and what a big club they are. And the project they are doing is very good. That’s why I wanted to sign.

‘I have enjoyed it very much, even more than I expected. Everyone has been very welcoming. With the facilities and everyone to help you train hard and get to the highest level, it is a dream for someone like me who loves to train and to develop.

‘This year I want to play as much as I can, win the Conference League, win titles, and get better every day.’

Filip’s thirst for improvement, undiminished since he was a little boy in Lomma, goes on.