Kurt Zouma was labelled as Chelsea's "new Marcel Desailly" by coach Jose Mourinho following Sunday's Capital One Cup final triumph, but is playing down comparisons with the World Cup winner.
With Nemanja Matic suspended, Mourinho selected defender Zouma in midfield for his 17th Chelsea appearance and the 20-year-old Frenchman did not look out of place in the 2-0 Wembley win over Tottenham.
That brought further comparisons to his compatriot Desailly, who played 222 times for Chelsea and was comfortable in both defence and midfield.
"That is a lovely thing, what the boss said," Zouma said. "[But] it is too early to say that because Marcel Desailly is a legend of Chelsea.
"I have only played about 10 games and I am 20 years old. I loved to watch him play. He was an amazing performer and important for us.
"I have to keep working hard. I have to improve every day. I have never met Marcel Desailly but one day I hope I will see him."
Zouma signed for Chelsea from St Etienne for a reported 12 million-pound fee in January 2014, but spent the remainder of that season on loan with the Ligue 1 club before joining up with the Blues' first team last summer.
The centre-back, who scored on his debut in the Capital One Cup against Bolton in September, was happy to play a midfield role for the team.
Kurt Zouma was delighted to win his first medal of his Chelsea career... http://t.co/bBqEpA7iGo #CFC pic.twitter.com/Xzd94Aon87
- Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 2, 2015
"When I signed for Chelsea I knew that we had to play in some big games, some finals," Zouma said. "But I never dreamed that I would be playing in the middle in midfield.
"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."
Zouma said he trained in the position "a bit, not too much," before adding: "It was enough for me to play there.
"I am a centre-back but if the manager said to me that I have to play centre-back, left-back, striker or keeper I would play there because I want to help the team.
"The most important thing was that we won the title. Everyone is happy."
Desailly, meanwhile, has told Chelsea's official website that Zouma can become a "far better" player than he ever was.
"I did not have this experience at this level of the game at his age so the potential is there, no doubt," he said following Sunday's game.
"He just has to continue to work and grab the opportunity and I am very pleased. It is a pleasure for our national team too.
"I just want the media to allow him to be at peace and to work hard on his agility and technique and he can be far better than me, because I was not like this at his age."