Willian has completed his £32million move to Chelsea after being granted a work permit.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho gave evidence on the Brazilian’s behalf for his hearing today. The 25-year-old had a medical at Stamford Bridge at the weekend. The Blues hijacked Tottenham’s bid to sign Willian from Anzhi Makhachkala last week.
Speaking on the Chelsea club website, Willian, who has signed a five-year deal at the club, said: 'I'm very happy to be here, it's been a dream of mine to come and play here.'
'Dream move': Willian has signed for Chelsea on a five-year deal. He has cost the club £32m
Helping hand: Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho gave evidence on behalf of Willian
He added: 'Chelsea are one of the best clubs in
the world, and now I'm going to play for one of the best managers in the
world, so I'm very happy and looking forward to it.'Willian will wear the No 22 shirt.
Willian is not in the Super Cup squad - Chelsea face Bayern Munich in Prague on Friday night - so will have to wait until after the international break to make his debut. Chelsea's next fixture after Friday is their away trip to Everton on September 14.
When asked about Willian's decision to join Chelsea ahead of Tottenham Jose Mourinho was coy last week.
‘I think he already made his decision,’ said the Portuguese manager.
And has he chosen Chelsea? Mourinho gave a very slow and deliberate nod.
Then he said: ‘I don’t like to speak before time because football can be crazy. Sometimes it looks like he has but he hasn’t. But I know what the player wants, so we cannot hide.
Arrival: Willian arriving at the InerContinental London Park Lane Hotel ahead of his medical last week
‘That’s the danger of medicals before contracts but, at the same time, if the medical is after the contract, sometimes you can have a problem before signing a player so you have to do the medical before.
'The best thing you can do is do the medical in secret. If the player is fine, you can sign him. If the player is not fine, you don’t destroy his career by saying the player has problems, so you do it in secret and after that sign the contract.’
WILLIAN'S FIRST INTERVIEW
Here's a full transcript from Willian's first interview as a Chelsea player, from the club's official website.What does it feel like to be a Chelsea player?
I've always been following Chelsea and every time I came to London I would try to see a Chelsea game and see how the team was doing because it's been my dream to come to play here. Finally it's become a reality, and when the offer came I never gave a thought to anybody else, I said to myself that I would run here, and I'm happy to be here now. Chelsea was always my first choice.
All in blue: The Brazilian will wear the No 22 shirt
You must be looking forward to working under one of the best managers in the game?
Absolutely, it's going to be an immense pleasure to work with Jose Mourinho, listen to him and learn from him. I'm sure I'm going to grow as a professional and I'm looking forward to training. He's one of the best coaches in the world with everything he's won. I'm sure I'm going to learn a lot and improve a lot.
Have you had a chance to speak to Jose Mourinho about what is expected of you?
I've had a quick chat with him, he welcomed me to the club and told me he was happy that I was here. He told me to work hard. He said we have a very strong team but when you work hard there are rewards.
You have played in Russia, Ukraine and Brazil, but how familiar are you with the Premier League?
I've always followed the Premier League on the television and I've always had a desire to play in England because it's one of the best leagues in the world. I've seen some games live and I've been to the stadiums. It's a different league but I'm really looking forward to getting started.
Granted: Willian has completed his £32m move to Chelsea after a work permit was granted
Chelsea fans will remember you for the two goals you scored at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League last season, but how would you describe your style of play?
My style is that I like to dribble a lot and play with speed. I like to accelerate very fast with the ball. I'm also quite technical, I like to shoot at goal but I've also learnt to defend, which is something you have to do to help the team.
You have an impressive record in the Champions League, scoring nine goals in 34 appearances. What is your favourite memory from playing in the competition?
The most beautiful goal I scored in the Champions League was for Shakhtar against Roma in a 3-0 win in 2011. I've scored memorable goals in other competitions as well but in the Champions League I would choose that one.
As well as Chelsea, you've also played against Arsenal, Tottenham, Fulham and Newcastle in the past. How do you remember your matches against English opposition?
It was a great experience because English teams are very difficult to play against and each one has their own qualities. I remember losing against Fulham with Shakhtar, and we also lost 3-2 to Chelsea last season, but they were good experiences and I enjoyed the games.
Long term: Willian was a target for Chelsea while he was still at Shaktar
At Shakhtar you won a number of trophies, including the Ukrainian title, Ukrainian Cup and UEFA Cup. How do you think that winning mentality will help you at a club which have become accustomed to success?
It will help me because every player has a wish to win everything they are competing for. I've won a lot of trophies in Ukraine, which is a wonderful feeling, but Chelsea are a great club who are used to winning trophies. My aim is to help Chelsea keep this winning mentality and to win as many trophies as we can. All we want is to win trophies and be successful.
What are your aims for the season, both on an individual and collective level?
I intend to help the team as much as I can in order to be successful. I want to train hard, work hard and give everything to earn my place in the side. This is a very strong team with great players. I hope I am going to start matches very strongly and help the team do the best we can, whether that's through scoring goals, creating chances or defending. I'm sure with the squad we have we will have a great season ahead of us with many trophies to come.
That is definitely another aim of mine, to win my place in the squad and go to the World Cup. I will have to work hard for Chelsea to show what I am capable of, and I'm sure if I do that I will have the opportunity to be called up by the national team as a consequence. That applies to every player; if you work hard and perform well for your club, you will get those opportunities, and if the chance arrives I want to be ready to take it with both hands.
WILLIAN PROFILE by Sportsmail's Adam Shergold
Playmaker: The Brazilian is not a goalscorer but should provide plenty of firepower to other strikers at Stamford BridgeThe first thing you should know is that Willian is not a prolific goalscorer. Don't expect him to be an alternative to Fernando Torres at Stamford Bridge.
In six seasons at Shakhtar Donetsk, his club prior to Anzhi, Willian scored just 37 times in 222 matches.
However, despite not being a great goalscorer, he is a scorer of great goals. And he creates plenty too.
Like any Brazilian playmaker, Willian has the full repertoire of step-overs, backheels and flicks, and judging by some of the heavy challenges by Russian defenders, he often suffers for his art.
Standing at 5ft 8in, his low centre of gravity allows for excellent dribbling skills and no Premier League wing-back will relish the prospect of Willian hurtling towards them.
Having worked space, his ability to deliver the perfect cross or pick the decisive pass is up there with the best.
Willian learned his trade in the youth ranks at Corinthians, his local club, and made his first team debut in May 2007 at the age of 18 against Juventude.
The fact he was presented with the number 10 shirt suggests Corinthians had long-term plans for him, but eye-catching performances for Brazil in the 2007 South American Youth Championships and the FIFA Under 20 World Cup brought him to international attention.
While Ukrainian outposts like Donetsk are not the obvious destination for an 18-year-old, Shakhtar had firm European aspirations and were willing to pay £12m for his services.
Eastern Europe had already become a path well-trodden for Brazilians even at that time with compatriots Fernandinho, now of Manchester City, and Jadson were on hand to help him settle in.
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