The Brazilian defender fell out of favour under the former Blues boss but has regained his place with Maurizio Sarri

David Luiz admits he probably would have left Chelsea if Antonio Conte remained in charge.

The Brazilian defender made only ten Premier League starts for the Blues last season amid reports he had fallen out with Conte.

However, he has regained his place in the squad under Maurizio Sarri, and claims to have learnt a lot from his difficult time last term.

Luiz told Sky Sports: “If the manager had stayed the same, of course, everybody knows maybe I had to move clubs. Now I am here and so happy.

“I think I always have to feel fresh start because I am getting old! It is amazing to play football, of course last season was not the best for me inside the pitch, but also I learned a lot outside the pitch as a person, as a man. It is always great to be on the pitch.

“I learned a lot, sometimes you have to be patient, sometimes you have to take care of your body, sometimes you have to learn from outside to be good in the future. So for me it was great.

3 Luiz says he learnt from his tough time last season

“I got time to take care of my body; many times I was on the pitch in pain, and I never refused to play one game. It was good to rest and be fresh.”

Chelsea have taken maximum points from their opening two fixtures under Sarri and Luiz shed some light on the Italian’s coaching methods.

“The ambition has to be to win every single match, every single competition, this is Chelsea we can’t think in a different way but we also have to have humility to understand we’re at the beginning of a new philosophy, so we start day-by-day every single week.

3 Luiz is now a permanent fixture under Sarri

“I think every coach comes with new stuff and can improve and help us and of course Sarri are already taught me many things I never saw before. It’s great to understand football – it never stops – since I started playing football I always learn from every coach, it’s great.

“He just gives to you [the public] five per cent of the idea, he’s not going to give you 100 per cent of the idea, one of the parts of the idea is to focus on the ball and different parts of the pitch, you have to understand the movement.

“I think we are in the beginning, we already head everything but you have to learn in your head and pass this to your body and synchronise. With everybody it takes time but we’ve already played two games and got six points.”