Willian Has Emerged as Perfect Fit for Jose Mourinho at Chelsea

Chelsea supporters held Willian in high regard before he had even kicked a ball for the Blues.

Signed from Anzhi Makhachkala in summer 2013, the fact that he had allegedly completed a medical at Tottenham before changing his mind and heading for Stamford Bridge, per BBC Sport, has given rise to a popular, if slightly irritating, song about the Brazilian hating Spurs.

Speaking to the official Chelsea website after signing for the club, Willian made it clear that the chance to work with Jose Mourinho was too good to turn down:

"

It's going to be an immense pleasure to work with Jose Mourinho, listen to him and learn from him. I'm sure I'm going to grow as a professional and I'm looking forward to training. He's one of the best coaches in the world with everything he's won. I'm sure I'm going to learn a lot and improve a lot.

He told me to work hard. He said we have a very strong team but when you work hard there are rewards. I like to accelerate very fast with the ball. I'm also quite technical, I like to shoot at goal but I've also learnt to defend, which is something you have to do to help the team.

"

Unfortunately for Willian, it took a while longer and a lot more effort before he was able to impress the supporters and manager on the pitch.

Despite scoring on his Premier League debut against Norwich City, the winger found himself subject to Mourinho's rotation policy as the Special One sought to cement his preferred starting XI in his first season back at the club.

Rather than complain about the lack of playing time as Kevin De Bruyne did, per Matt Barlow for the Daily Mail, Willian instead chose to work hard in training to become the sort of player that Mourinho would have to start.

He was by no means consistent throughout his first season, but injuries to key players and an improvement in form in the final weeks saw him do enough to make the Brazil squad for the World Cup.

Although he only managed to play the full 90 minutes once, in the third-place play-off against the Netherlands, the experience brought an extra dimension to his game ahead of the 2014-15 season.

Alastair Grant/Associated Press

Like Eden Hazard, Willian is equally competent in any attacking midfield position. His versatility allows him to switch wings with Hazard if the opposition are tough to break down, while his pace makes him almost impossible to catch.

He has also taken on board Mourinho’s desire for his players to be all-rounders and has improved his defensive contribution.

In this week's 5-0 victory over Schalke 04, he spent much of the game tracking back to help Cesar Azpilicueta and still managed to get on the scoresheet.

So far this season he has scored one goal and assisted another in both the Premier League and Champions League and has completed 20 key passes in 16 appearances, per WhoScored.

The quality and consistency of his performances this season have kept Andre Schurrle from featuring regularly for the Blues. Schurrle had an excellent summer at the World Cup but is the sort of player who needs to play week in, week out if he is to hit his top level.

While Willian continues to perform at his current level, the German is likely to see his chances restricted to cameo appearances from the bench as the Brazilian sets about securing his place among Mourinho's second generation of untouchables.