The centre-back took no time to settle in at Stamford Bridge, saying the club 'fit like a glove' for him, and discusses how his natural leadership qualities mean he has no problem being one of the senior voices in the dressing room.

'I knew people at the club already and everyone was very welcoming,' he says. 'When you’re a centre-half you’re required to be a leader, you need to impose yourself on the field and strikers that you come up against. With my build and my qualities, I’m able to do that.'

Now he sees the motivation in everyone around him to make sure we finish the campaign in the best possible way.

'It’s crunch time,' he says. 'We’re fighting for that Champions League finish, and for the Conference League trophy. We also have the Club World Cup coming up in the summer, and that is something to fight for too. The boys are fully focused and motivated for all of it.'

Elsewhere in the programme, you can hear from one of our all-time cult heroes, as Mickey Thomas reflects on his hugely successful spell with Chelsea and a short-lived stint with opponents Everton.

'I have good memories there,' he says of Stamford Bridge. 'When you’ve been somewhere like that, honestly, I left something there – I don’t know what it was.

'I scored two goals on my home debut, didn’t I? That was amazing, obviously – it doesn’t get better than that, does it? I made the third goal for Pat Nevin that day and we won the game.

'You have to make a connection with the fans, so I ran to Gate 13 and that was the real, hardcore Chelsea fans in there. I’d done my homework, so Joey Jones told me where to go if I scored! So I ran to them and that was it, really. My love affair was a really strong one.'

You can read the thoughts of Enzo Maresca and Reece James, while we shine the spotlight on the work done by Chelsea Foundation, with columns from the Foundation’s CEO, Laura Cordingley, and chairman, Daniel Finkelstein.

We also take the opportunity to bid farewell to Goodison Park, home of our opponents, with a retrospective on some key Chelsea moments at the famous old stadium.

Make sure you pick up your copy from the programme sellers around Stamford Bridge or order online from our publications partner, Reach Sport.