Former Chelsea star Claude Makelele has heaped praise on Moises Caicedo for his performances last season.The 23-year-old was outstanding for Chelsea in all competitions, and Makelele believes that he has made the defensive midfield role his own.The former French International revolutionised the defensive midfield role with his reliable performances over the years, and the role is widely known as the ‘Makelele role’ in football now. However, he feels that it should be known as the ‘Caicedo role’ now.Claude Makelele on Moises Caicedo“I think it is the ‘Caicedo role’ now,” said Makelele, speaking to GMS. “It gives me happiness if these young players take some things from me. Now this position has started to be recognised in world football.“I was happy to see Rodri win the Ballon d’Or, because in my time, the focus was not on this kind of midfielder. It was always about strikers or wingers and never midfielders. This position is one of the most important in the game, and now we see Rodri, or Pedri, at Barcelona, getting acclaim.“With Caicedo, I love this boy. He’s humble and hard-working. I talked with him before he arrived at Chelsea, and he told me I was his example. I’m sure he can be a success at Chelsea because he’s a good player.”More Stories / Latest News‘Outstanding talent’ is ready to leave Man United but only for another Premier League clubJun 14 2025, 10:18Player who revolutionised unique role in awe of ‘hard-working’ Chelsea star Pochettino signedJun 14 2025, 10:16Man United establish contact with “very special” Liverpool target regarding summer moveJun 14 2025, 9:59Caicedo has been outstandingMoises Caicedo in action for Chelsea against Ipswich Town (Photo by Harry Murphy/Getty Images)The Ecuador international sees Makelele as his role model, and therefore, the praise from the French midfielder will come as a huge boost for him.Chelsea paid £100 million to sign him from Brighton when Mauricio Pochettino was in charge, and they will be delighted with the way he has performed over the last 12 months. He is still quite young, and he will only improve with coaching and experience. Caicedo has all the tools to develop into a top-class player with the right guidance. If he manages to fulfil his world-class potential, he will have justified the investment in him.Chelsea will be competing in the UEFA Champions League next season, and they will need Caicedo when they are up against elite attackers in the European competition. He will look to build on his performances from last season and improve further. He will be crucial to their hopes of winning major trophies in the coming seasons.Meanwhile, Chelsea are preparing to offer Caicedo a new contract. He has attracted interest from Saudi Arabia.The post Player who revolutionised unique role in awe of ‘hard-working’ Chelsea star Pochettino signed appeared first on CaughtOffside.