Chelsea legend Claude Makelele is pleased to witness Moises Caicedo stepping into his midfield footprints at Stamford Bridge. Still, he thinks the young Ecuadorian could eclipse even his own legendary accomplishments.
Still near to the club, Makelele won the Champions League with Real Madrid and played a crucial part in Chelsea’s back-to-back Premier League championships in 2004 and 2005.
Following retirement, he taught at the academy. Recently, he watched the team’s FIFA Club World Cup success in the United States.
From the sidelines, he finds the following generation amazing. Caicedo stands out especially. Once bearing Makelele’s name, the holding position is now under the control of a player bent to make it his own.
Chelsea’s midfield is full of young promise. Along with Romeo Lavia, the Ecuador international has given the middle of the pitch new energy and fighting.
“Chelsea have good players, young and talented players,” revealed Makelele. “I’ve seen them progress a lot and I’m proud of this club.
He continued: “I know Chelsea, they are fighters. That’s true also of the midfielders, with young players like Caicedo and [Romeo] Lavia, such very good players.”
The Frenchman wants the 23-year-old to be more than just a comparison, most importantly.
“I think he has a lot of talent. Moi is humble, he plays with a smile and works hard for his team-mates. I did that when I was playing, enjoy myself, and he has the passion and is a fighter. I think the passion and the fight is just as important as talent.
“I love him a lot, because when he started at Chelsea we talked together, and he was happy to come to Chelsea for his own story. He didn’t want to be compared to me, he wanted to do the ‘Caicedo role’,” he added.
The former Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder won the Blues’ Player of The Season and Players’ Player of The Season Award for 2024/25 season after putting up a stellar performance.
“It’s very important because I was older and already playing at a high level with Real Madrid before I came to Chelsea, so now it is a little bit difficult for a young boy to try to be me straight away without that experience. Or to try to be what people think of as me.
“I prefer they do their own thing, write their own story, become their own ‘galactico’. So I am happy because that is what he is doing. To take my example and build on it in his own way is the best thing he can do,” he concluded.
The Santo Domingo-born player will be looking to continue his creative display in the new season. He, at the moment, is with the team for their pre-season tour.
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