Willian reveals unsurprising secret to his free kicks, and his surprising aim to become a Chelsea legend

There haven't been too many happy moments in Chelsea's season so far, and thus, there haven't been too many happy interviews given by players.  They've all been largely about turning the season around and supporting the manager and maintaining belief and confidence and other such heavy and ominous subjects.  And while Willian also touches on these themes, he also finds the time to dream a bit about the future and how things might play out for the rest of this season and the rest of his Chelsea career.

"I am at a stage in my career where you can reach the peak. The best moment for players should be between 27 and 30. Hopefully I will be able to maintain this level for the rest of the season. I know the more goals I score the more pressure will be towards me. But I am quite confident I am ready to deal with this pressure. Jose Mourinho is a manager that definitely gives me a lot of confidence, and I am very happy to be working with him."

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"[Lampard and Drogba] both have massive history within this club.  It is a bit too early to start speaking if I could fit in that role. But my hope is to carry on working the same way I am doing right now, and maybe in the future I would like to be recognised by the Chelsea supporters as one of those leaders."

Willilan's already a bit of a cult hero thanks to his (seemingly) last-minute change of heart to join Chelsea rather than Spurs, his great hair, and his incredible work rate, but this season he's also added a much needed presence on the scoresheet as well.  His free kicks especially have become a centerpiece of conversation, his latest a rather glorious effort against Dynamo Kiev, massive both in terms of the three points and the psychological lift provided.

Unsurprisingly, quality free kicks don't just happen by random chance.  Like anything Willian does, it's a result of hard work and determination.

"Since the very early days when I started playing in Brazil and first became a professional I always used to take free-kicks. When I played for Shakhtar Donetsk, I used to take free-kicks and scored a few goals, then when I came here with Chelsea I took a few free-kicks but was not able to score."

"But I kept practising. Every day after training I would stay to do some shooting. I would take five or six and that helped me to get more confidence for when they came in the games. I have been lucky now to have scored a few. Hopefully it will carry on that way."

While many are reminded of another Brazilian, Zico, arguably the greatest free kick master there's even been in the history of the game, Willian's inspirations are slightly more recent.

"I would look to David Beckham and Andrea Pirlo when it came to studying technique. And, yes, I like Ronaldinho as well."

-Willian; source: Telegraph

Whoever they may be, whatever inspiration they're providing, long may it continue!