Completing his latest people highlights Azpilicueta's thirst for cognition and a tendency for changeless self-improvement.
It was thing helium learned astatine Chelsea, wherever helium arrived arsenic a comparatively low-profile £7m signing successful a dressing country afloat of established leaders specified arsenic John Terry, Frank Lampard and Petr Cech, alongside prima names including Fernando Torres, Eden Hazard and Ashley Cole.
He explained: "I started arsenic a close winger, moved to France, past moved to Chelsea. I wasn't a prima signing. I had to find my way. Left-back, wing-back, centre-back successful a backmost three.
"It was astir consistency. I had to enactment hard to enactment fit, accommodate to antithetic managers and antithetic positions.
"When you get astatine Chelsea, you consciousness the ambition consecutive away. Every 3 days you person to win. Every crippled and each trophy matters.
"That civilization pushed maine to the maximum and, particularly erstwhile I near Chelsea, I felt that I had fixed everything I had for the club."
Azpilicueta explained however his acquisition distant from the transportation helped him make into a person astatine Stamford Bridge.
It gave him the assurance to correspond Premier League players during the Covid-19 pandemic, portion besides helping to organise initiatives and support the nine moving guardant aft proprietor Roman Abramovich was sanctioned pursuing Russia's penetration of Ukraine.
His defining infinitesimal came successful that 2021 Champions League last victory.
There is small uncertainty that, having succeeded Terry and past Gary Cahill arsenic captain, Azpilicueta ranks among Chelsea's top leaders. Yet helium revealed that, since leaving the nine successful 2023, helium has not returned to Stamford Bridge.
He was among dozens of players to permission aft Chelsea changed ownership from Abramovich to the existent American-led consortium successful 2022.
"I near Chelsea, but Chelsea volition ever enactment successful my heart," helium said. "I travel each crippled and I anticipation the nine comes backmost to wherever it belongs.
"There are immoderate precise beardown teams astir and shot sometimes needs a spot of time. You request connections, radical playing unneurotic and knowing each other.
"At a large nine similar Chelsea, the demands are high. But I deliberation that's normal. It should beryllium demanding and ambitious because, speaking arsenic a Chelsea fan, you ever privation to spot the nine winning trophies.
"I person assurance that [manager] Xabi [Alonso], the unit and the players volition bash bully work. Hopefully they tin bring a batch of happiness to the fans."
He has been pursuing Chelsea's latest skipper Reece James, who helium believes volition turn into a amended leader, since over-30 players Jordan Henderson, Danny Welbeck and Emiliano Martinez joined implicit the summer.
When it is suggested that helium mightiness instrumentality to Stamford Bridge successful immoderate capableness to beryllium marked by a lukewarm reception from supporters, Azpilicueta responds modestly: "I don't cognize astir that.
"I volition travel backmost 1 day. I won't beryllium putting connected my boots, though."
English (US)·