Chelsea fans may have had to wait more than four months to hear from him, but this week former Ajax playmaker, Hakim Ziyech gave his first interview since swapping the Johann Cruyff Arena for Stamford Bridge.
The 27-year-old was watching on as Chelsea came out 1-0 winners over Norwich City, thanks to a first-half goal from Olivier Giroud.
Ziyech, who has 32 caps for Morocco, spoke on his excitement of joining a club like Chelsea, adapting to the Premier League and how it felt to be part of the Ajax team which drew 4-4 at Stamford Bridge back in November.
'It was always a big club'
Chelsea’s new man opened his maiden interview expressing exactly what it means to him to be joining up with the Blues.
“When you are a young guy you always want to play for a big club, in the Premier League of course,” he told Chelsea TV.
“When I was young, the players that played here, it was always a big club so I am very happy and it means a lot. I was playing in the youth in Heerenveen and here was playing Drogba, Lampard, Terry, all those big names. We were always for Chelsea, and if you look at now, if you can play here it means a lot.”
Adapting to the Premier League
Despite Ziyech’s slender build, Chelsea’s new signing is confident he will be able to adapt to the added intensity and physicality of the Premier League.
“Premier League is a tough competition, I know it is,” he explained.
“But if you see in all competitions, players have the same body as me, football is just playing with your head and being smart and creating spaces, and it is always in the small things.”
'It was a crazy game'
On his last trip to Stamford Bridge, Ziyech was part of the Ajax team which drew 4-4 with the Blues in the group stage of the Champions League. Ziyech put in a man of the match performance that night, scoring a stunning free-kick as well as setting up another.
“It was a crazy game. If you were a neutral supporter it was a fantastic game. For us it was a little bit less because we were 4-1 up, but it was a crazy game. I think the neutral fans, that is why they like football, because of moments and games like this.”
Final message to Chelsea fans
Ziyech finished his first interview since his move to West London with a final message for his new fans, saying: “I cannot wait to play here and I'm excited and I wait long for this moment, but it is finally here and I will do everything in my power to make everybody happy.”