Gary Cahill knows a thing or two about what it takes to be a success at Chelsea.
The former defender, who played 290 times between 2012 and 2019 for the Blues, won eight major trophies, including two Premier League titles and the 2011-12 Champions League.
Cahill's seven years at Stamford Bridge also saw him line up with some of the clubs' greatest ever players.
Not only did the former centre-back play alongside the likes of Pedro, Juan Mata and Willian, but he also enjoyed many years as Eden Hazard's teammate.
Interestingly, although this Chelsea side are no where near as dominant as the teams Cahill played in, the retired 40-year-old believes there is one current player capable of reaching the same level as Hazard.
Gary Cahill in awe of Estevao
Chelsea didn't have much to shout about last season, but Estevao's first campaign was a real highlight.
Although the teenager's season ended early following a cruel hamstring tear which also saw him miss out on Brazil's World Cup squad, there is no doubting he produced moments of magic, and Cahill is a big fan.
Speaking to Goal about Estevao's potential, Cahill said: “He's one of those players where you can see the fans on the edge of their seat when he picks the ball up, which is what fans pay the money for, to come and see. In my day it was the likes of Hazard and Pedro, there's Willian, and the list goes on.
“It's those players that you're looking for to unlock situations, to create something out of the blue. You're waiting in these big moments, aren't you, for someone to unlock, someone to create something. He's somebody who can certainly produce that.
“And you look at his age, you'd imagine he's only going to get better and better. So it's exciting for the Chelsea fans. It's just a shame that he's taken a bit of an injury, but that’s part and parcel of the game. He is certainly a huge talent.”
Tipped to reach same level as Eden Hazard
Estevao's first season in west London saw him score eight goals and register four assists in 36 matches in all competitions.
Even though Hazard's numbers following his move from Lille back in 2012 were considerably higher, Cahill is confident Estevao has what it takes to reach the same level the Belgian did.
“100 per cent, that is the level," he said.
“Unfortunately, you won't stand the test of time if you don't get up there in a Chelsea shirt. But what we've seen so far from Estevao is that he certainly can do that. It's just about him now to have the appetite to keep improving, to keep producing, to look at the players that we just said, but also create his own path and produce his own style of football.
“These kind of players, their job role is to create. So you look at somebody like [Cristiano] Ronaldo, for example, he's prided himself on the numbers in terms of what he’s done in the game. Have I scored? Have I assisted? And I think this is the kind of selfish streak he's got in him to go, ‘I need to affect the game, I need to affect the game every game I play in order to become a world-class player’.
“So, they're the next steps for him, but we're still talking about a young boy and he looks like he plays with a smile on his face, which is important. I'm excited about what the future holds for him.”
Estevao is expected to return from injury at the beginning of August and is set to play an important role under the incoming Xabi Alonso.
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