You can even go back to before he was able to walk, never mind kick a football, as Tosin was born a stone’s throw away at St Mary’s Hospital.

One of the highlights of his youth career came when captaining Manchester City in the final of the FA Youth Cup against Chelsea at the age of 17.

The following season then saw a full senior debut for City, again at the Bridge in an FA Cup fifth round tie.

But the intrinsic link with his new club actually goes deeper beneath the surface, with the defender taking inspiration from some of those to have previously worn the Chelsea shirt.

In the years that have followed since his senior debut - when he had the task of marking Diego Costa - Tosin has developed into an athletic, aggressive, ball-playing centre-half.

And when the 26-year-old visited Cobham earlier this week, he revealed how some of those who have worn the Chelsea shirt in years gone by have inspired him on his own journey.

‘I take aspects of their games into my own. Like John Terry’s leadership and how aggressive he played,’ explained Tosin.

‘Also Christensen, for example, and how well he can play on the ball. Players like that I really like to take bits from their game and bring to my own.

‘But there’s a lot of players that I looked up to. Ronaldo, Zidane and also Lampard and Drogba. They [Frank and Didier] were inspirational players and players that did crazy things for this football club and for football in general.

‘I loved their aura. And they were big-moment players. They always step up and perform on the big stage, which is what I’m here to do.’

A leader in the dressing room, the former England youth international has become one of the most consistent defenders in the Premier League.

Tosin will join the Blues on July 1 on a four-year contract once his deal with Fulham officially ends.

He knows he is joining a project for the long-term but won’t lose sight of a lifelong ambition, with Europe’s top prize of the Champions League always in the back of his mind.

That particular aspiration, fuelled partially by remembering some of his footballing heroes achieving the same thing here, is one he wants to realise during his time at the club.

While looking at some of the imagery around Cobham, Tosin recalled: ‘The 2012 Champions League final in Munich, I remember watching that on TV and thinking ‘wow, that’s where I want to be’, that’s what I want to achieve.

‘To be here now. Striving for that is what it’s all about.

‘The Champions League has always been the one for me. That’s the one I’m striving for, that’s the one this club is going to be striving for, so that’s the one we all have to push for eventually.’

Tosin spoke of the support he has received from his mother and brothers on his journey so far. In simple terms: ‘I wouldn’t be here without them, it’s as simple as that.'

Even as he started his football journey 200 miles north in Manchester, his mum would still have what the defender describes as a ‘soft spot’ for the blue side of London.

‘My mum was gassed when she heard the news about me signing for Chelsea. She’s very happy.

‘She loved back in the day when we had all the African players because obviously she’s from Nigeria, so she’s always had a soft spot for Chelsea.’