After returning to his hometown of London as a grown adult, he pledged to be an outspoken leader at the club.
He is back in London for the first time in more than a decade.
It was his refusal to accept limited playing time at Manchester City that led to his decision to join the Blues.
The 77-cap England forward also revealed Thomas Tuchel's praise for his direct attacking threat, with the coach excited to see him drive forward for the Blues with the ball at his feet.
"I'm excited, I've grown up a bit off the field, I'm looking forward to it."
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I'm coming back to London as a grown adult after living the dream since I was a kid.
I know what I want from my life and football because I've been in the game a while now.
It's the right time to return.
I want to be more involved in decisions in the dressing room, to be more vocal, and try to drive the team on.
I think he said it was my directness, not always wanting it in to feet and going in behind.
"But most importantly it's how I attack the box and with the full-backs that we have here, he said that's the one thing he wants to see more of, so that was the discussion there."
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He was born in Jamaica but raised in London and went on to carve a top-level career.
Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly were both interested in signing the pacy forward, who returned to London with four titles under his belt.
"Like anything as a person you strive to achieve, and I just felt my time at City was getting limited on playing time for different reasons, and that's why I moved."
I didn't have enough money to waste that time. I need to keep that level and challenge.
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To get to a peak time in my career, not to play frequently is something I wouldn't accept.
My personality is to try to fight and change the situation, but it didn't work out that way.
The option was tailored to my goals and the direction the club is going in.
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The team is going to get better as they compete. It made sense with the new owners.
It was difficult because I spent a lot of time at City.
The year I was out of the team taught me a lot about myself, as well as making me value a lot of things.
It was a difficult decision, but you have to make the best choice for yourself.
Since about 14 or 15 years ago, I've been away, so it feels like I'm coming home.
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One fan was banned for life and five others were temporarily banned due to racist abuse directed at the Manchester City player during his time in the city.
The new recruit insisted that he didn't even think about the incident when he joined the Blues.
"That's the first time I've actually remembered it," said the man.
I can't allow abuse from individuals to affect my perception of a club.
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Sky Sports will show the first big-six clash of the season on Sunday as Chelsea host Spurs.
The London derby is important in the new season because it gives an indication of where both clubs are at.
It will be a good test to see if Spurs are really in the race for the title.
Spurs have a poor record at home, having lost 24 and drawn 12 of their 37 games there.
We look back at one of the most notorious matches in the history of the league when we look at the upcoming clash between the two teams.
You can read Joe Shread's article here.
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