‘It’s a dream come true,’ Moises smiles, as the opportunity to don a Chelsea shirt remains a privilege for the Ecuadorian.

Since making his move to the Bridge ahead of 2023/24 campaign, Caicedo has become a popular player among team-mates and supporters. His technical ability and boundless energy are reminiscent of previous fan favourites – and one of Moises' footballing idols, N'Golo Kante.

The current season has seen the midfielder go from strength to strength under head coach Enzo Maresca. An ever-present in the Premier League, the 23-year-old has been entrusted with the captain's armband on numerous occasions, a responsibility he has enjoyed.

Caicedo has and is relishing every minute of his time in blue, yet he refuses to take anything for granted as we head into a festive schedule, which includes tomorrow's game against Southampton, that will demand much of the midfielder and his team-mates.

‘It’s a great feeling [playing for Chelsea],’ Moises explains. ‘You always prepare for this moment and now you are here at Stamford Bridge with your fans and winning games. You are helping the team and it’s amazing – sometimes I go home and just smile.

‘This season, so far, we are doing fantastically, but for sure, all the players, the head coach, and the staff want us to do the same for the rest of the season.’

Caicedo knew a period of transition would be required following his arrival from Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer of 2023. He needed to settle into a new group and adapt to new expectations, his patience and quiet determination have been rewarded with his form this term.

He says: ‘When you come to a big club you always need to know that people are going to talk about you. It was me in that moment [after joining] and I suffered a little bit. But this is football and in football, this happens a lot.

‘You need to be strong, to have a strong mentality, and to have good people around you to help you. I have that; my people support me in every moment and I’m so happy about that.

‘I think he [Maresca] is happy with me because I always try to show him I want to help the team. He can see that in every game. I’m happy working with him, he is helping us a lot. All the players and staff are happy with how we are doing now.’

Having almost taken the roof off Stamford Bridge with an incredible halfway-line strike against Bournemouth at the end of the last season, and after securing a point at Old Trafford with a tremendous volley, Caicedo is earning a reputation as a scorer of great Chelsea goals.

The midfielder admits finding the back of the net isn’t his priority – he only has those two strikes in Blue – with his main aim to aid his team in any form.

‘I just try to help,' he adds. ‘If I have the chance to score a goal, I take it. In the game against Manchester United, I saw the opportunity, so took it. It was a fantastic goal.

‘I don’t score too many but the most important thing for me is to help the team in defence. If the other team does not score a goal, I go home happy. So, after Sunday [against Aston Villa] I was happy because I helped the defence.’