Chelsea's surprise star on Antonio Rudiger advice, Mason Mount inspiration and Lionel Messi awe

“I remember it took me an hour to get home,” Trevoh Chalobah says with a smile. “I’d gone shopping and people were asking for photos. I thought ‘wow, this is what players at big clubs go through."

It was Chalobah’s goal in Chelsea’s Premier League opener against Crystal Palace that thrust him into the spotlight. In an instant, the 22-year-old went from young hopeful to Premier League star. It was almost overwhelming.

“I remembered dropping to my knees. I had images flashing through my head: my loans, my family. I thought of my mum as well because it was all for her. It was an unbelievable moment.”

It’s certainly one Chalobah deserved. For years he spent time honing his craft in the Chelsea academy. Then came the loans: Ipswich Town, Huddersfield Town, Lorient. But still, there was no guarantee his dream of representing the Blues, his boyhood club, would be realised.

That remained the case when he arrived for pre-season training last summer. Chalobah was prepared for another loan spell away from Chelsea. He certainly didn’t expect his life to be transformed.

“I didn't know what I was doing,” he admits, “I didn't know if I was going to go on loan or if I was going to leave [permanently]. I just made sure I came back fit – I even did extra work before I came back.

“In my head, I kept thinking 'you never know' even though I probably had other plans. But I had nothing to lose. I just wanted to give it my best.”

Chalobah featured in all of Chelsea’s pre-season matches and impressed Tuchel, who kept the academy graduate with the first-team group despite the return of established stars from international duty.

Then came the UEFA Super Cup in Belfast against Villarreal. Chalobah started and looked at ease in the