Edouard Mendy believes he was ready to move to a big club like Chelsea from Rennes last summer.
The 29-year-old joined the Blues from the Ligue 1 side for a £22 million fee and both club and player have never looked back since.
Mendy has been a revelation at Stamford Bridge, producing top performances on a weekly basis. It helped the Blues clinch Champions League glory in May, as well as seeing him claim the UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year award for his efforts in between the sticks.
He was also nominated for the 2021 Yashin Trophy award earlier this month, which has coincided with the Senegalese already making six clean sheets in all competitions this term.
The Chelsea goalkeeper is loving his time at the club which has changed his life, and he put it down to his managers and teammates.
What Edouard Mendy said
Speaking to Chelsea TV, the goalkeeper admitted: "When Chelsea call me, it was a big opportunity. When I came here, I feel straight away that things are different. The people recognise you, everything changes.
"It wasn't difficult because I was at a good club, with good manager, good teammates. They really helped me so it was important to integrate with the team. I think it was a big move, but I was confident and comfortable with this."
What else did he say?
Mendy also said he is glad he can give the opportunity to open more doors for black goalkeepers in the game with the responsibility he has been given at Chelsea.
He added: "It feels like a responsibility to be at your best, play at the highest level, to give this opportunity to open more the door for the other [black] goalkeepers."
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