One hundred Premier League appearances is no mean feat for any player. For Caicedo, it carries a little extra weight. In February 2021, he left Ecuador for England in the midst of the pandemic, aged just 19. A testing year passed before Caicedo was handed his Premier League debut, duly delivering an assist as Brighton stunned Arsenal at the Emirates.

That game remains his favourite of his century of English league appearances, and not simply because of his contribution, and the outcome. For that sunny April afternoon in north London marked the beginning of a journey that has propelled Caicedo into any conversation about the world’s best midfield players. As we sit down to chat at Cobham, it is a journey he reflects on with enormous pride.

‘At the beginning of all this, I couldn’t imagine reaching 100 games at such a young age,’ admits Caicedo, who turned 23 in November.

‘It’s something really special. I must thank God, and thank the managers that gave me the opportunity to play these games and do my bit. I am really, really happy, and I hope to play many more games.

‘In football, especially the Premier League, there are always highs and lows. I’ve learned a lot from when things have gone against me, and from when they’ve gone in my favour. I’m learning something new in every game I play. I have learned thousands of things.

‘The Premier League is the best league in the world because there are so many talented players; fast, strong, quality players,’ adds Caicedo.

‘You come up against everything in this league. Anything can happen in this league. You can play against a team at the bottom of the table, and it can feel like you’re playing one of the top teams in the table. And so it’s really great that in every game you have to compete and give your all and show your quality.’

Caicedo says he feels a significantly better all-round midfielder since he arrived in England, principally because of the education playing regularly in the Premier League offers. He believes he is also a much stronger person now, having overcome the seismic challenge of moving continents at such a young age.

‘It was really hard at the beginning,’ he tells us.

‘I'll be honest, I wanted to go back home because I came here alone to this country, I left my family back home in Ecuador, and I was really attached to my parents, and so changing country, culture, time, food, weather, everything happened from one day to the next, but I stayed strong.

‘I prayed to God a lot, that my family was supporting me from afar, that I was strong and brave. The calm comes after the storm, and now I am just enjoying it here at this beautiful club, giving my all to the team and competing to my maximum.’

Caicedo cites the half-season loan spell he spent at Beerschot in Belgium as vital to his development, and adaptation to European football. He responded well to the initial frustration of not playing for Brighton, and returned to England ‘more prepared to compete at the highest level’.

A full season representing the Seagulls was all it took for Caicedo to attract attention from many of England’s best, including Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal. His boyhood love of the Blues was a significant factor in him choosing Chelsea as his next club in August 2023.

The transfer unsurprisingly grabbed headlines. For Caicedo, a humble, gentle presence off the pitch, a new challenge presented itself: that of the extra attention and expectation that was directed his way.

‘I always try to remain calm because I know more than anything what football is like,’ he says.

‘When you’re doing well, everyone loves you, you’re the best in the world, and yes, it is nice to hear good things, but in football it’s not always laughs and smiles. You go through tough times too.

‘When I went through a tough time, I knew I was prepared for anything because I overcome anything. So, this made me stronger as I was prepared for the negative. Now, these things have made me stronger, and it’s reflected on the pitch. I feel like I’m experiencing one of the best times at Chelsea, and I want to maintain it and continue to help my team as much as I can.’

Caicedo is up to 102 Premier League appearances now, and counting. There is excitement in what lies ahead, in what the next century of league games will bring. For a player as talented, as hard-working, and as brave as Moises Caicedo, it feels like there are no limits to what is possible.