Football news - The unlikely hero: Paying tribute to Cesc Fabregas

In 2014, a personal CV involving three seasons at Barcelona would probably have been enough to raise questions about how favourably any player might be welcomed at Chelsea. Never mind the fact that this was the player that had effectively put Frank Lampard out of a job at Stamford Bridge.

Add to the mix those eight seasons at Arsenal, during which he infamously tussled with that man Lampard in a domestic final, and there was no surprise many were grumbling about the arrival of Cesc Fabregas in west London.

But, over the course of those four-and-a-half years, Fabregas seemed to work miracles – against the odds, becoming one of Chelsea's most popular figures. While he, himself, developed an affection for the club which few might have expected.

On Saturday he made what most expect to be his final curtain call: and there was barely a dry eye in the house.

As the Spaniard handed over his captain's armband to David Luiz during the FA Cup win over Nottingham Forest, Stamford Bridge stood as one to applaud – he then returned the favour.

Fabregas had become a true Chelsea hero – and all that went before at Camp Nou and Highbury or The Emirates had largely been forgotten.

So how did Fabregas achieve such a turnaround? For the most part, the answer was simply down to on-pitch excellence.

It is tricky to overdo the superlatives when it comes to his career on these shores: 501 games, and a tally of Premier League assists only eclipsed by Ryan Giggs (accumulated in just over half as many Premier League games as the Welshman), Fabregas has been a deciding factor in so many matches during his time in England.

At Chelsea, he was key to the securing of two Premier League titles as well as winners' medals in the FA Cup and League Cup.

He set his stall out from his debut when he dinked a wonderful assist to Andre Schurrle at Burnley, for what many rated as the goal of the 2014-15 title-winning season – just one of his two assists that day. But it was his uncanny knack of threading long-range passes through to Diego Costa which would really go towards establishing the Cult of Cesc at Chelsea.

On his day, he was probably the greatest passer of the ball that the Premier League has ever seen. He made that 'quarterback' role his own and due to the goals gained, nobody really cared that he didn't much go in for tracking back or tackling.

We scribes were warned by colleagues who had covered Arsenal that he could be frosty with the press and he only very rarely wanted to speak to us. But when he did, he was very far from difficult: speaking intelligently and passionately about the game, and his aspirations within it. Where others gave platitudes, he spoke like some footballing philosopher – and it made fantastic copy.

More and more, he adopted a persona that fitted Chelsea: he walked with the same swagger the club has carried over the last decade and a half, and he frequently made gestures and comments that helped fans warm to him.

The snuffing-out of Jose Mourinho's Chelsea flame, for the second time in late 2015, proved a challenging moment for the midfielder. He was unfairly accused of being one of the 'rats' that had sunk the Portuguese boss.

In reality, Fabregas was never anything less than totally professional in his efforts for both club and manager. A character, like William Gallas before him at Chelsea, unfairly stained by tittle tattle put around by those with competing agendas.

Fabregas departs at the right time: for both he and the club. But he leaves behind a legacy that few, if any, will be able to emulate.

'One of a kind,' said Carlo Cudicini, drafted in to complete post-match media duties in what is certain to be Fabregas' final game. And few would argue with that.