Following  his 400th appearance for Chelsea in the Blues’ 3-1 defeat to Manchester City last week, César Azpilicueta has revealed how his switch to Chelsea came about, back in 2012.

Azpilicueta, 31, has been one of the best and most loyal players to have ever played at Stamford Bridge – he’s thrived under every manager during his time and been a great servant to the club for more than eight years.

In an exclusive with Chelsea Football Club, Azpilicueta said: “I was under contract at Marseille, but as soon as I know a great club like Chelsea were interested in signing me, I tried to move to the side trying to get an agreement between the clubs.”

Azpilicueta got in touch with fellow Spaniard and ex-Chelsea star, Juan Mata, who represented the blue side of London from 2011 to 2014, before making a switch to rivals Manchester United.

The Chelsea captain added: “I spoke a bit with Juan Mata who was at Chelsea. When I signed I was so happy. I walked through the door for the first time and was sitting next to legends of the game, and then was on the pitch with them.”

The veteran defender fell in love with the club right-away, being convinced of the direction the club was moving in, as Chelsea turned out to be, statistically, the most successful English club of the previous decade.

The two-time Premier League winner said: “I could see straightaway the ambition and desire of the club. It was a big step forward in my career. The club had just won the Champions League and I wanted to be part of that success in the future.”