Calum McFarlane singled out defender Jorrel Hato for praise in his last Chelsea press conference ahead of the trip to Sunderland.
Hato made a difficult start to life in England, like many young players, after completing a £37 million switch from Ajax last summer.
A particular low point was his performance in Chelsea's disappointing 2-2 draw against Qarabag in the Champions League last November, as the Dutchman struggled at centre-back alongside the more experienced Tosin Adarabioyo.
Fast forward six months, and Hato has completely transformed his fortunes, predominantly playing as a left centre-back in McFarlane's system, with the 20-year-old deserving of many plaudits.
Calum McFarlane praises Jorrel Hato's development
"It's always challenging; someone so young, coming from a different league. The Premier League is a unique league - it takes time to get used to," McFarlane said in his pre-match press conference. "Since Christmas, Jorrel has been one of our best performers. The block against Maddison at the end the other day, it's massive for our season. Jorrel is in a really good place.""
The Chelsea interim boss praised his development since moving to England and claimed he's been one of the club's "best performers" since Christmas.
He also referenced his incredible performance in the Blues' 2-1 win over Tottenham last time out, including his block to deny James Maddison's goal-bound strike.
Hato produced an accomplished performance in possession on the left of a back three, as nobody in blue had more touches (74) or completed more passes (60) than the Dutchman, and his pass success rate was an impressive 94 per cent.
The youngster's distribution was crucial to Chelsea playing out from the back, and he combined his elite ball-playing qualities with defensive prowess by making three interceptions and winning two duels across ninety minutes.
How Hato will fit in under Xabi Alonso
A defensive overhaul is pending once Xabi Alonso officially arrives at Chelsea on July 1, but whilst several could depart West London, Hato should play a prominent role in the Spaniard's plans.
Alonso likes his defenders to be comfortable at bringing the ball out from defence, an attribute Hato has displayed in abundance, while his awareness and decision-making is improving all the time.
Chelsea have been linked with Edmond Tapsoba from Bayer Leverkusen as a possible signing, presumably to slot into the right of a back three, and he could play alongside Levi Colwill (middle) and Hato (left).
On paper, that back three has the perfect blend of physicality, height, leadership, and ball-playing attributes, though it remains to be seen who the new manager wants to deploy in his back line.
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