Moses: The fields of Norbury Park helped me develop my skills for Chelsea

With memories of his best Premier League season still fresh in his mind, Victor Moses believes it is his football roots that are to thank for his journey to the top with Chelsea.

Nigerian-born, it was in the parks of south London where Moses first had a chance show off his obvious football abilities – all before even playing competitively for a team.

From there, beginning with a team called Cosmos, the midfielder turned wing-back found himself scouted by Crystal Palace before heading north to Wigan Athletic as his Premier League playing time increased.

And while the beginning of his Chelsea career was not always appearance-laden, the 26-year-old has since become a staple part of Antonio Conte’s title-winning team – success he believes can be easily traced back.

(Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

“When I was young, we played in Norbury Park. I grew up in areas like Croydon, Streatham, Brixton, all around there,” he said

“We used to have loads of people coming round the park to play football. I remember if someone used to do a stepover, we’d say, “Yeah, he’s Ronaldo!” Then it would be, “It’s Ryan Giggs!

“It was stuff like that, it was always fun, it was like a competition: whoever showed the most skills said he was the best. Everyone used to really go hard to show they had the most ability.

“Last season was a great season for me personally and for the whole team, the fans, the manager and everyone at the club. We won the league and every single one of us was buzzing. I’ve never experienced anything like that feeling before.

“This is one of the biggest leagues in the world and the whole world watches it, and winning it was probably one of the biggest days of my life.”