Cesar Azpilicueta signed for Chelsea almost a decade ago.
The Blues had come off winning the Champions League and in late August stumped up £7 million to Marseille to sign the Spaniard, on the same day they purchased Victor Moses from Wigan.
The likes of Charly Musonda, Andreas Christensen, Eden Hazard and Oscar also signed that summer with Robert Di Matteo in charge of the club.
At just 22, Azpilicueta arrived at Stamford Bridge to play with established internationals in Branislav Ivanovic, John Terry, Garry Cahill and David Luiz in the ranks.
It was clear the Blues boss saw him initially as a player to add depth.
“He is a young player from Marseille, who has come through all the ranks with the youth level of the Spanish team, and he will give us cover at the right-back position with Paulo Ferreira and Branislav Ivanovic," said Di Matteo.
“It gives us more options for the future and competition. We will see who is going to be playing.”
It wasn't until November of that season Azpilicueta found himself starting a Premier League match for Chelsea, a 1-1 draw against Swansea.
The former Osasuna defender might be one player to remember Rafael Benitez fondly, as he earned more starts once his countryman replaced Di Matteo.
Azpilicueta has admitted he learned a lot from Benitez, and while he only featured in the final ten minutes of the Club World Cup in 2012, he was the starting right back by the time the Europa League final came around and Chelsea defeated Benfica.
"Playing for Chelsea you have the responsibility to win every game," he said at the end of that season.
"Physically and mentally, it is difficult, because every three days you have a massive game. We are fighting for every trophy.
"It's the first time I have played a lot of games like this. This season I started to play in November and after that it is every three days.
"It feels like we've been playing finals for four or five months now. Every week we have a massive game, in the FA Cup, Capital One Cup, Premier League, Europa League."
Nearly a decade later, that relentless schedule has remained and Azpilicueta has truly won it all at club level. Each trophy has been with Chelsea.
The 31-year-old may have won Chelsea's player of the season award in 2013/14, a season where Jose Mourinho opted to use his talents at left back over Ashley Cole, but his influence and stature have only grown since then.
He has always offered his services where the team requires and as he enters the final months of his current Chelsea deal that has been no less true.
While his performances cannot always reach the same level as they once did, he still fulfils roles at centre-back, right-back and as a wing-back and captains the side with aplomb.
Azpilicueta has played 30 times this season, starting all but one Champions League match and all but eight minutes against Plymouth Argyle since Reece James got injured in December.
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Still, he had the presence of mind to make a game-changing decision against Palmeiras.
When Chelsea were awarded their late penalty, the defender took control of the situation. He picked up the ball, he made eye-contact with Kai Havertz and he drew every ounce of pressure from the Palmeiras defenders.
"It was a tactic because I knew how they are, I knew they were coming for the penalty taker, so I took the ball," said Azpilicueta.
"Kai knew that he was going to shoot so it was to release the pressure from him. It was a decisive moment and Kai is one of the best penalty takers.
"I waited and listened to everything their players told me, and I think it worked which is the most important thing."
Not only did he protect Havertz in the high-stakes situation however, he also drew the penalty.
The Spaniard isn't a natural in the box but in repeated forays this season he has shown the ability to help create chaos. Even for Lukaku's goal he was a nuisance with his movement but his flick of the ball at the death was enough to force Luan Diaz into a handball.
It's difficult to argue anyone deserved the trophy more than Chelsea's captain and none looked to enjoy it more. His gleaming smile dominated the post-match shots as he took every opportunity to lift the trophy across the pitch, in the changing room and anywhere else he could in the stadium.
His embrace with Thomas Tuchel showed how much it meant, while the time he spent with Marina Granovskaia and Petr Cech, along with pictures with Roman Abramovich show how highly he is regarded by Chelsea's hierarchy. Few would complain if he showed the ability for a role behind the scenes in the future.
One Club World Cup, one Champions League, one UEFA Super Cup, one FA Cup, one League Cup, two Premier League titles and two Europa League titles. Still with the opportunity to win more before the end of the season.
Azpilicueta arrived in 2012 as a relative unknown into a team of Chelsea giants including Terry and Frank Lampard. He may not be the best but he's now arguably achieved the most and his name will be among the pantheon of Chelsea greats.
Much remains uncertain about Azpilicueta's future but there is no doubt he is a player who will go down in history for the Blues.
