Mason Mount claimed Chelsea could now call themselves the best team in the world following their Champions League final win against Manchester City.
England midfielder Mount’s excellent through-ball set up Kai Havertz for the game’s only goal in the first half at the Estadio do Dragao in Porto.
Chelsea had beaten newly-crowned Spanish champions Atletico Madrid, Porto and Real Madrid in the knockout stages en-route to the final.
Mount, the Chelsea fan who came through the club’s academy, told BT Sport: ‘I’ve dreamt as a kid of going all the way, making a final and winning it. That’s what this cup’s all about.
‘I’ve been there as a kid, now to go all the way in the Champions League, through some tough games – we’ve played some top teams – and now we’re in a final and we’ve won, it’s such a special occasion.
‘At this moment in time, we’re the best team in the world and you can’t take that away from us.’
Chelsea secured their fourth win of the season against City, including last month’s FA Cup semi-final, but Mount saluted Pep Guardiola’s side.
‘City – what a team they are,’ he said. ‘They’re very hard to prepare for. You don’t know what you’re going to get. They have top, top players and it’s such a tough game.
‘They gave it everything, just like us. My celebrations after the game were cut short because I went over to them. I know what they’ve given.
‘They deserved to be here because of what they’ve done this season.’
Match-winner Havertz has endured a tough transition to the Premier League after joining Chelsea in a club-record £72million deal last summer.
Asked if the winning goal had paid back the transfer fee on its own, the German told BT Sport: ‘To be honest, right now, I don’t give a f***. I’ve won the Champions League!’
Chelsea wing-back Ben Chilwell, another outstanding performer for Thomas Tuchel’s side, described victory as a dream come true.
‘We fought so hard,’ he told BT Sport. “We knew it was going to be tough and in the second half we fought for our lives.
‘We’d pictured this moment, this feeling, and it’s just amazing. It’s what I came to Chelsea for. It’s a dream come true.
‘We got tired as the game went on but when the Champions League is up for grabs, that doesn’t really matter.’
