Chelsea fan Michael Hector reflects on first few days of Chelsea training

For now, Michael Hector is simply known as the player signed alongside Papy Djilobodji in the final few panicky days of the 2015 summer transfer window.  And Djilobodji has the advantage of a cool name, and even cooler song, and that one glorious minute of League Cup action against Walsall.

London-born Hector, who will be in action at the Copa America with Jamaica, does probably have the better chance, however small, of making it at Chelsea.  The 23-year-old had left Reading (his home on loan) before the end of the season to train with the Chelsea squad for a couple weeks and Hiddink was impressed enough to comment.  For Hector, the "Fresh Prince of East Ham" himself, as a Chelsea fan, it was a bit of a surreal experience.

"I don’t take anything for granted with where I have come from and being here with world-class facilities and the type of players you meet, where I come from you can only dream of things like that. And Chelsea is the team I supported so it is another incentive, it is a big thing for me to try to break into the first team. My mum is from Fulham Broadway and grew up in a block of flats right next to the stadium. Although she supports Man United her family is Chelsea mad"

"The first day I was a bit taken aback having watched these players as a supporter but then I settled and have been training normally. The manager was really good in helping me and talking to me and the coaches have been really helpful as well."

In his seven seasons as a professional player, Hector has already had no less than a dozen loan spells, including the loan back to Reading after signing with Chelsea.  Chelsea often talk about players being exposed to a variety of systems and conditions and environments as one of the aims of the loan system; Hector has certainly done more than his fair share of such learning.

"Moving to Ireland to play for Dundalk meant living away from home and that was the first time playing televised games which was a big deal. In Scotland with Aberdeen was a big stage, playing against teams like Celtic. They are the type of games you want to play in every week and made me realise this is where I want to be."

-Michael Hector; source: Chelsea FC

If the midfielder turned defender impresses Antonio Conte as well, he might just get a couple shots at the big stage with Chelsea as well.