Memories of my Premier League debut: Knocked down by a big Irish striker and welcomed by Gus Poyet - Ex-Chelsea star reflects on his introduction to British football

Former Chelsea goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini had a steep learning curve when he made the move to British football by joining the Blues in 1999.

Having joined Chelsea, initially on loan, from Castel di Sangro, before making the move permanent for £300k, Cudicini arrived at Stamford Bridge as back-up to first team goalkeeper Ed de Goey.

Gianluca Vialli wanted to utilise the entirety of his Chelsea squad while playing a pre-season friendly in Northern Ireland, though, which helped Cudicini realise the physicality involved in British football.

Ex-Chelsea goalkeeper Cudicini's rude welcome

"My Chelsea debut was in a pre-season match against Omagh in Northern Ireland. I came on in the second half, and with my first touch I got knocked down by a big Irish striker, hitting my nose," Cudicini recalls to FourFourTwo.

"I was half-asleep on the floor with the physio and the doctors talking to me, and I couldn’t understand a single word. Gus Poyet came over and said, 'Hey, Carlo, welcome to British football', which still makes me laugh.

"I recovered quickly enough and made my official debut in a Champions League qualifier at Skonto in Latvia, playing the last 15 minutes of the second leg, then I made my league debut on the final day of the season. I’d arrived."

After spending nearly the whole of the 1999/00 season on the bench, behind De Goey and sometimes elder statesman Kevin Hitchcock, too, the Italian then started to play more regularly after a full year in England.

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In 2000/01, Cudicini started 23 Premier League games compared to De Goey's 15, while he then managed to retain his place after the signing of Mark Bosnich in 2001/02.

Though Petr Cech's arrival relegated Cudicini down to back-up goalkeeper, he clearly managed to adapt quickly to the physicality of the British game - a far cry from the Italian style he arrived from towards the end of the 1990s.