The 54-year-old midfielder – who grew up in Switzerland with Italian parents – left Lazio for the London club in 1996 but admitted he was unfamiliar with the Premier League but had been persuaded by the passion he’d seen during Euro 96.

He told FourFourTwo magazine: “I actually didn’t know very much about English football but I’d played for Italy at Euro 96, where I got a big taste for the football culture.

“There were some new stadiums and infrastructure and I could see the passion of the fans.

“Ruud Gullit, Chelsea’s boss, knew me well as a player and he wanted me.

“I loved Lazio, but it felt like an exciting challenge.”

And Roberto found it a particularly special time because of his friendship with fellow Italy stars Gianluca Vialli and Gianfranco Zola.

He said: “The club were ambitious. [Then-chairman] Ken Bates was trying to bring players from around the world to Stamford Bridge.

“Having those close friends by my side was something special indeed.

“They weren’t only great mates but excellent footballers too.

“We soon formed a strong connection with the Chelsea fans and enjoyed spending plenty of time together away from the pitch as well.”