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Gianfranco Zola has provided his verdict on what has surprised him and made him proud about Chelsea this season.

The Chelsea legend was at the club as an assistant last season under the guidance of Maurizio Sarri but the Italian's managerial stint ended early when he left for Juventus.

Zola didn't join Sarri at Juventus and instead headed into unemployment and has been enjoying his time for rest following a busy managerial career so far.

The former Chelsea striker managed West Ham from 2008 to 2010 before he moved back to his homeland and took over a post coaching youth football at a national level.

Stints at Watford, Cagliari, Al-Arabi and Birmingham City were next up but all ended without major success, before he briefly re-joined the Blues.

But Chelsea will always be Zola's number one love in football and the club's fans are equally fond of the Italian.

Therefore, when Zola offers his thoughts on the current crop of players under the tutelage of Frank Lampard, it's time to take note.

Zola was on the Soccer AM sofa on Saturday morning and he provided a key revelation that he and Sarri made a mistake by not detecting the talent of Fikayo Tomori, who is now a regular under Lampard and in the mix for England.

"Chelsea have been amazing this season. There have been a few (players) that have been impressing me," Zola explained on Soccer AM.

"(Fikayo) Tomori is one of the players. Last year we had him in the pre-season and we couldn't see all the qualities that he is showing now. That is a surprise and a big lesson for us and me personally as well. They are going beyond my expectations."

Zola countered his surprise at the rise of Tomori by insisting that he always knew Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount were destined to shine one day at Chelsea.

"Mason Mount is not surprising me because I saw the videos of him playing in Holland and Derby. He needed to adapt but there was always a big potential," Zola added.

"I'm not surprised about Tammy (Abraham). When we had him he was a raw talent but I loved the attitude and positivity. They have all got a great attitude."