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Kalidou Koulibaly continues to win the hearts of Chelsea fans both on and off the pitch following his switch to Stamford Bridge in the summer. The Senegalese has named the two players who inspired him and Blues fans will be glad that one of his two picks is their former player.
In an interview posted on Chelsea's official website, Kalidou Koulibaly mentioned ex-Blues centre-back Marcel Desailly and former Juventus defender Lillian Thuram as the two players he looked up to while coming up.
When asked by the official Chelsea matchday program about players who inspired him as a youngster, the Senegalese said:
"Marcel Desailly and Lilian Thuram. I was French. I am French. I was born in France, so I grew up with them as my example, and it helped me a lot."
The defender explained that he chose to pay attention to the duo because he shares similar origins with them. The Senegalese also revealed that he still gets a lot of advice from Thuram and added:
"As French guys with African origins, I was watching them like big stars, idols. Today, I speak with Lilian Thuram and he gives me a lot of advice, a lot of help."
Kalidou Koulibaly finally earned his dream move to Chelsea this summer after being linked with the Blues in each of the last few years. The Senegalese joined the Blues from Monaco in a deal worth €38 million, signing a four-year contract with the Premier League giants.
Since switching to London this summer, the centre-back has made six appearances for the Blues across all competitions, recording one goal to his name.
What's next for Kalidou Koulibaly and Chelsea?
After playing out a 1-1 draw with Salzburg in the UEFA Champions League last time out, Chelsea will be looking forward to getting back to winning ways when they return to action in the Premier League this weekend. Graham Potter's side will take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday (October 1).
Koulibaly was an unused substitute during the clash with Salzburg but is likely to be involved in the game against Crystal Palace.
