Yesterday was the day for Michael Essien as the midfielder makes his long-awaited return from a knee injury.
The midfielder has not appeared in Chelsea colours since December, enduring a frustrating time on the sidelines while his team-mates lifted the Premier League and FA Cup Double and then headed to South Africa for the World Cup.
For the Ghanaian, it has been a summer of rehabilitation rather than relaxation, but the hard work looks to be paying dividends as he anticipates his return against Crystal Palace yesterday afternoon.
'I know now I will play, and it will be nice to have 45 minutes like the other guys to test my fitness,' said the 27-year-old. 'It feels good, it's been a long time but I am back in full training now, everything is good and there is no reaction from the training, so things are looking good for me.
'I didn't have any holidays because of my rehab, but it will be good to start up again and I am looking forward to the rest of the boys coming back as well.
'I'd love to have been there playing at the end of the season, it wasn't easy for me but I supported my team-mates to win their matches, that's all I could do. I became a supporter and to end the season with two trophies was amazing and I was enjoying it like everyone even though I didn't play the whole season.'
Essien acknowledges that being given the go-ahead today will mean he is one of the more senior players on show with the majority of his first team colleagues still on vacation.
'We're still waiting for the rest of the other players from the World Cup but we have a lot of good young players here as well,' he said.
'I think it's good to start the pre-season games with them and to see them play, so the manager can see how good they are. I think the club has a great future with those players and I can see in training they are doing well at the moment.'
While his team-mates were taking plaudits for their work on the field, Essien has been taking impressive steps off it - this week he has been announced as a peace ambassador for 2010 by the African Union.
'It's great to be appointed an ambassador in Africa and I am looking forward to working with them, I hope everything will go really well and I can help get the message across for peace in Africa,' Essien explained.
'They requested me to meet them for a meeting but I am busy with pre-season so one of my representatives is there for a meeting and will come back and talk to me about it soon. From now you will have to call me Ambassador Essien!'
With the prospect of seeing him back in Chelsea blue, this new title seems a very small price to pay.
The midfielder has not appeared in Chelsea colours since December, enduring a frustrating time on the sidelines while his team-mates lifted the Premier League and FA Cup Double and then headed to South Africa for the World Cup.
For the Ghanaian, it has been a summer of rehabilitation rather than relaxation, but the hard work looks to be paying dividends as he anticipates his return against Crystal Palace yesterday afternoon.
'I know now I will play, and it will be nice to have 45 minutes like the other guys to test my fitness,' said the 27-year-old. 'It feels good, it's been a long time but I am back in full training now, everything is good and there is no reaction from the training, so things are looking good for me.
'I didn't have any holidays because of my rehab, but it will be good to start up again and I am looking forward to the rest of the boys coming back as well.
'I'd love to have been there playing at the end of the season, it wasn't easy for me but I supported my team-mates to win their matches, that's all I could do. I became a supporter and to end the season with two trophies was amazing and I was enjoying it like everyone even though I didn't play the whole season.'
Essien acknowledges that being given the go-ahead today will mean he is one of the more senior players on show with the majority of his first team colleagues still on vacation.
'We're still waiting for the rest of the other players from the World Cup but we have a lot of good young players here as well,' he said.
'I think it's good to start the pre-season games with them and to see them play, so the manager can see how good they are. I think the club has a great future with those players and I can see in training they are doing well at the moment.'
While his team-mates were taking plaudits for their work on the field, Essien has been taking impressive steps off it - this week he has been announced as a peace ambassador for 2010 by the African Union.
'It's great to be appointed an ambassador in Africa and I am looking forward to working with them, I hope everything will go really well and I can help get the message across for peace in Africa,' Essien explained.
'They requested me to meet them for a meeting but I am busy with pre-season so one of my representatives is there for a meeting and will come back and talk to me about it soon. From now you will have to call me Ambassador Essien!'
With the prospect of seeing him back in Chelsea blue, this new title seems a very small price to pay.
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