Claude Makelele says he wants to give back to Chelsea after returning "home" as technical mentor to the young players at the club.
The popular former Chelsea midfielder has returned to the Blues in a role that will see him work closely with individual academy players, tracking technical performances in training and matches.
The 46-year-old Frenchman will be largely based at the club's training ground in Cobham, but will also visit loan players at their clubs and provide regular match feedback.
And he has spoken of his delight at rejoining the club, where he played 217 times during five years in west London.
‘I am very happy to come back home," he told the club website .
"This club gave me a lot and now I want to give back and help the young Chelsea players dreaming of a career in football. I want to use all my experience to help them become professionals in every aspect and I am looking forward to getting started.’
Makelele is the latest former player to return to the club this summer, following the arrivals of Frank Lampard as the Blues' head coach and Jody Morris as his assistant.
The Frenchman's former team-mate Petr Cech is also back at the club as technical and performance adviser, while Makelele will also operate alongside former Blues Carlo Cudicini , Paulo Ferreira and Tore Andre Flo in his new role.
Makelele, who won two Premier League titles during his time at Chelsea, along with an FA Cup and two League Cups, has had coaching roles at Paris Saint Germain and Swansea City since retiring from playing, while he has also managed French side Bastia and most recently, Belgian side Eupen.
Chelsea club director Marina Granovskaia said: "We are very pleased to welcome Claude back to Chelsea, where he made such an impact during five excellent years as a player.
"His long and successful career on the field, added to his winning mentality and experience as a coach in recent years, make him the ideal person to pass on his expertise to our talented youngsters. He will be a valuable asset to both our academy and first-team coaching staff."
