Moises Caicedo was in reflective mood when he spoke to the Chelsea programme immediately after he and his team-mates made their annual visit to Chelsea & Westminster Hospital to hand out gifts on the children’s wards just before Christmas.

He recently became a father himself and is touched to see how the players’ presence is enough to bring smiles to the kids’ faces at a time of year when we could all do with a bit of perspective.

'I see things different now,' he says of fatherhood. 'My baby is my world and I am so happy to have her, and I am
so grateful.'

It's fair to say 2024 was a good year for Caicedo, who has seen his family grow by one at home and settled into life at Chelsea nicely too.

His uptick in form was instrumental as the team ended last season with a burst of good results, then began the current campaign with a new lease of life under the guidance of Enzo Maresca, a man who toiled away in the midfield engine room during his own playing career.

'It’s been really good,' he says. 'I’ve enjoyed it a lot, on and off the pitch, with my family, with my team-mates. I’m
doing well, and when you are doing well… I go home and I just smile, you know?

'I’m so happy. It’s a good feeling when you are doing well in your job and at home also. But every game I try to show even more. That’s why I’m working harder.'

The 23-year-old concedes he has lost a bit of sleep since his daughter was born in late November, but you wouldn’t know it from his recent performances, which have been characterised by his usual energetic presence.

He is one of those all-action midfielders who seem to have an extra lung, bouncing up from bone-crunching challenges and going into the next 50-50 with the same boundless enthusiasm, before playing the simple pass and setting the team on their way.

Chelsea has been a haven for such players this century, in fact we’ve specialised in relentless deep midfield players. There was Claude Makelele, who honed the modern screening role in a midfield three to the point that it was named after him.

Then came N’Golo Kante who was so vibrant that the midfield three became a midfield two, he just did the work of an extra player!

Recently, a meme has been doing the rounds in which Caicedo is presented as the heir to their throne. He has seen it, but he’s far too humble to go along with it, although the mention of it raises a chuckle from the Ecuadorian.

'No,' he says, self-effacingly. 'They won a lot of things for Chelsea, and I didn’t do anything yet. But they did a lot of
things, so I just try to watch some videos of them, to learn how they played midfield and a bit of their personality. And I think I’m doing well, but they did a lot here. For sure, I didn’t do anything yet. But I want to reach what they achieved.'

We ask if he feels strongly about comparisons like that, and whether drawing parallels detracts from our individuality.

'Yeah, every player is different,' he agrees. 'They were my idols… they are my idols! Sometimes I watch their videos to learn more, but I’m Moises Caicedo and I want to write my own history, and that’s what I’m doing.'

Asked to define his role, he reveals he views it more in terms of his contribution to the team than his position on the field.

'I like to play where the manager needs me. If it’s as a right-back, I’m going to do my best, because the most important thing is the team wins. I’m helping the team and I’m enjoying it a lot.'

And what about the attributes required to fill that role, whether it be as a dynamic midfielder or an inverted full-back?

'Win the ball back as quickly as possible,' he says. 'When I do that, I am happy because it’s what I enjoy. Then I touch the ball a lot and I try to do my best.'

It’s funny the most understated description of Caicedo’s game should come from the man himself. But there is a spectacular side to his play. He’s already contributed a couple of memorable moments with his first two Chelsea goals, both of which were Goal of the Month contenders.

In fact, his first successful strike for the club won him our Goal of the Season award for 2023/24, and arrived on the very last day of that campaign, from the halfway line, no less.

'Yeah, it was an amazing goal,' he says of his stunning effort at the Bridge against Bournemouth in May.

'I just saw the keeper outside the box and I said to myself, ‘I’m gonna shoot, and if it goes in the goal, that’s good, but if not, it doesn’t matter.’ So I did it, and it was a fantastic goal.'

It’s as simple as that, apparently! However, he admits he’d like to score a few more.

'When I have the possibility to score, I try to do it, but for sure this season I could have had more chances, and I would like to score more goals, because it’s a good feeling when you score… even when you assist. I’m doing my
best now.'

His other Blues goal made a big impact, as he scored our equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in early November with a powerful low volley from the edge of the box. It was one of those strikes that ejects supporters from their seats and shocks the opposition. Caicedo is giddy just thinking about it.

'It was like I was dreaming,' he says. 'I had scored the equaliser at Old Trafford, and the whole stadium was silent. Well, just our fans were celebrating – it was fantastic. It was a dream come true.'

The connection between the team and the supporters has deepened significantly this season. Of course, winning more matches will do that, but you only have to look at the post-match scenes as players head over to the fans for a bit of mutual appreciation to see that a bond has developed.

Caicedo epitomises the sort of full-blooded approach match-going fans appreciate in their representatives on the pitch, and he has also felt the bond strengthen lately.

'Yeah, yeah, we can feel it,' he nods. 'You can see all the fans react, and we enjoy it – they help us a lot to win games. For sure, every lad in the team enjoys that connection.

'It’s always a good feeling when you win games and you are doing well, then you go over to the fans and they are happy. That’s why we are working hard every day – to give them happiness.'

Happiness is a running theme throughout our conversation, and it is notable the busy schedule has hardly been referenced this season, presumably because everyone at the club is relishing it.

The Thursday-Sunday grind for a team in the Conference League has been turned into an opportunity for players to establish themselves in the team and contribute to the cause.

All of it seems like a welcome experience to this squad, and Caicedo sums it up neatly, as is his style, when discussing the festive fixture calendar.

'We’ve been looking forward to this period,' he says. 'We have been working even harder every day. Things are good
now and we are showing on the pitch what we can do.'

It was an eventful 2024 for Chelsea and Caicedo, but football doesn’t operate in calendar years, and it’s good to see that the man who represents the heartbeat of our team is relishing the challenges ahead in the second half of this promising campaign.

This interview was first published in Chelsea's Official Matchday Programme. You can purchase previous and future copies by clicking here.