Jose Mourinho: Chelsea hot-shot Kurt Zouma is the new Marcel Desailly

Zouma has burst onto the scene at Stamford Bridge this season as a phenomenally powerful centre back with pace and composure.

But the former St Etienne star showed a new side to his game on Sunday as Chelsea lifted their first trophy of the season by beating Tottenham 2-0 at Wembley in the Capital One Cup final.

Zouma was thrown in as an emergency defensive midfielder by Mourinho, with Nemanja Matic banned and John Obi Mikel injured, and played a key role as his team snuffed out Spurs’ danger men Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen.

After the game, Mourinho compared Zouma to former Chelsea and France hero Marcel Desailly, the 1998 World Cup winner.

Desailly had five years at Chelsea, and could play in defence or midfield, and Zouma said: “That is a lovely thing what the boss said.

“But it is too early to say that because Marcel Desailly is a Chelsea legend.

“Me, I have only played 10 games and I am 20 years old. I have to improve every day.

“Marcel is an idol of mine. I loved to watch him play before. He was an amazing performer and so important for us.

“I have never met him or spoken to him, but I would love to one day. I just have to keep working hard.

“I was just so happy on Sunday. Everyone wants to win titles and we have to show that as a team we can do that, and we did.”

On his new role, the French Under 21 starlet said: “I am a centre-back, but if the manager said to me that I have to play left-back, striker or keeper I would play there, because I want to help the team.

“When I signed for Chelsea I knew that we had to play big games, finals, but I never dreamed that I would be playing in the middle in midfield in one of them. But I had to play there.

“The manager told me two days before the game that I was going to play there.

“That was very exciting because then I knew I would be playing in a final at Wembley.”