Portuguese youngster Dário Essugo surprised by Chelsea captaincy honour: “It’s a message to me and the others” | OneFootball

Essugo wore the armband twice in a week on Chelsea's Asian tour [Getty Images]

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso offered an encouraging sign to Portuguese midfielder Dário Essugo during The Blues’ most recent pre-season outing, naming the former Sporting man as captain of a youthful starting line-up.

As the 21-year-old prepares for his second season at Stamford Bridge, Essugo’s future has occasionally been speculated upon. With Chelsea facing a campaign with no European football and a star-studded midfield pool comprising the likes of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, it has been suggested Egguso could head out on loan for the upcoming term.

However, Essugo was issued the captaincy for a 3-3 draw against Malaysian side Johor DT on the final leg of Chelsea’s Asian pre-season tour, which came a week after wore the armband for the latter stages of a defeat to Juventus. While the team against Johor was mostly made up of younger players, Alonso had experienced alternatives for the captaincy, including strikers Nicolas Jackson and Liam Delap, as well as 28-year-old defender Tosin Adarabioyo, who has made 70 appearances for the club.

Essugo played the full ninety minutes as the teams shared six goals, while Goevanvy Quenda also featured in the second half as he settles into life in London. The pair were signed in a joint deal from Sporting last year, with the combined cost for the duo earning the Lisbon club a €74.4m total fee.

“For me it was a surprise [to be captain] but of course it was a pleasure.” Essugo told the club’s media. “I didn’t expect to be captain at this age in this big club, so for me it was just a pleasure and I enjoyed it a lot. It means everything, because I didn’t expect it. It’s a message for me and all the players that it’s not about the age, it’s about maturity. So learn and stay positive.

“I’ve learned a lot [recently] because here we have a lot of big players. I tried to learn from everyone. I think that’s it – learn from my teammates and enjoy.

“[The tour] was very good, my first tour here, so it was a very nice experience.”

Chelsea play one more pre-season match against Spanish side Real Sociedad on Saturday, before finally beginning the new Premier League season with a trip to west London neighbours Fulham the following weekend.