Azpilicueta was delighted to make his 200th appearance at the Stadium of Light, where he was part of a defensive unit which kept our eighth clean sheet in 10 games.

‘It’s a good number, when I arrived I wouldn’t have imagined I would play that many games,’ he says. ‘I just want to keep going because obviously I have a lot more to give. It’s a nice figure to reach but I want to achieve more because I feel I can, I want to win more trophies for this club.

‘I’ve improved a lot. When I first came I was a right-back and in the first few months I wasn’t playing too much. There was then a transition where I ended up playing as a left-back for a long time and now I’m playing as part of a three-man central defence.

‘I always try to give my best and respond to what the manager wants. Playing in different positions enables you to improve and learn.’

The festive period is a busy one for all clubs, with squads tested due to the quick turnover of matches.

Now in his fifth season in England, Azpilicueta is well aware of what is required to come through a tricky part of the season unscathed.

‘It’s just about keeping yourselves, as a team, in good shape,’ says the 27-year-old. ‘Obviously it’s a busy period but we are professional, we know what we have to do.

‘At Christmas you can feel there is a different atmosphere inside the stadiums, the fans enjoy it and I do too. It’s a busy period and a time when you have to get as many points as possible. We have to be ready to face that challenge.’