Why Kurt Zouma Was Chelsea's Most Surprising Player in 2014/15 Season

Kurt Zouma played just 26 times for Chelsea this season, his appearances totaling 1,686 minutes.

That's an average just shy of 65 minutes per game, so why is he so highly rated by Chelsea fans?

The French defender's stock has risen significantly on the back of 2014/15. From young hopeful, he's now a serious contender for a starting place at Stamford Bridge.

Indeed, after Chelsea's Capital One Cup final win, Jose Mourinho even compared him to Chelsea legends after Zouma played out of position to cover for the suspended Nemanja Matic in defensive midfield.

Zouma didn't just play that game; he excelled in it and was a major reason why Chelsea came away with a 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

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"In that position, you are surrounded by players and you have to think quicker. He's our new Marcel Desailly," Mourinho declared with all the pride of a father watching his son come of age.

"We were preparing him to play that role, and the kid did a fantastic job for us."

The Desailly comparison got the headlines, but it was the last part of Mourinho's statement that was telling.

Zouma was indeed "fantastic" for Chelsea that day, as he was for much of those 1,686 minutes.

It wasn't expected that would be the case, especially after an unconvincing pre-season that saw Zouma have some difficult games against the likes of AFC Wimbledon.

"We were not happy with his tactical knowledge [when we signed Zouma], but we trusted we could give him that," Mourinho explained in March.

"When in pre-season we saw mistakes from him I thought, 'OK, no problem, but it will take time.'"

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That it has come so quickly speaks volumes for the coaching at Chelsea but also the player.

Zouma has transformed himself from being the young pretender among Chelsea's squad to a genuine star.

He seems to have more control over his body. The gangly legs have been taken under control, and there is a real substance about his game. He plays with his brain more.

Zouma isn't a graduate of Chelsea's academy, but he is probably the best example of how those young players at the club can emerge to become assets for Mourinho.

Chelsea's use of the loan system is well-documented. They have made significant profits on players they have farmed out across Europe, while Thibaut Courtois spent three years continuing his development at Atletico Madrid before returning to take the No. 1 shirt from Petr Cech.

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For those players with real promise, though, Mourinho wants to keep them under his watch. The likes of Izzy Brown, Dominic Solanke and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have big hopes pinned on them, and the boss wants them to develop with him and not elsewhere.

Zouma spent the first six months of his Chelsea career on loan at Saint-Etienne. Chelsea signed him from the French club, loaning him back for the last six months of 2013/14 before he joined Mourinho's squad full time.

He was only 19 when he arrived full time at Stamford Bridge, and the expectation was that another loan could ensue, as has been the case for so many others Chelsea have captured on the cheap.

With Zouma's imposing frame and physicality, Mourinho had other ideas, and now the player has delivered on the trust put in him.

When Gary Cahill lost form over Christmas, we saw Zouma step in and look the part, much like he did at Wembley against Spurs.

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Some elements of his game were shown up in those appearances, especially against Liverpool in the Capital One Cup semi-final at Stamford Bridge.

Philippe Coutinho sold him with a simple drop of the shoulder and should have scored, but it didn't impact Zouma.

His rate of recovery—that explosive pace over five yards—means attackers struggle to get away from him, as Sergio Aguero found out in late January when Chelsea drew 1-1 with Manchester City.

But it's about reading the game too, knowing when to extend those telescopic legs to avoid giving away penalties and free-kicks, which Zouma seems to have mastered.

With the names in Chelsea's squad and the expectations that follow them, we expected plenty from Mourinho's team in 2014/15.

We expected them to be Premier League champions, to go further in Europe and lift more silverware. We expected them to be the team in England.

For all that, nobody expected Zouma to announce himself quite the way he has.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes