No Room For Racism

Caicedo: Learning through diversity helped me reach the top

14 Oct 2023

Video is currently not available.

Chelsea's Moises Caicedo says he has been inspired by people from different walks of life on his journey to the Premier League

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Greatness comes from everywhere

From the streets of Ecuador to one of the Premier League's star midfielders, Moises Caicedo's rise has been meteoric.

But the Chelsea midfielder didn't reach the top without struggle.

"It's been a journey filled with tears and pain," he says in the video above, which celebrates the diversity of the Premier League through the theme of "Greatness comes from everywhere" as part of the No Room For Racism initiative.

"I played football with one of my brothers, and they were all older than me. They were stronger than me. It was tough as they used to play hard so I could be strong from a young age.

"I'm very thankful for that because it's thanks to them I'm here today, making one of my biggest dreams come true."

Learning from different walks of life

Diversity is a key word for Caicedo, still only 21 years of age, and one of 14 Ecuadorians to have played in the Premier League. 

He says his nation is obsessed with football, revealing he was inspired by his compatriots before him, and by the diverse community he has met along the way.

"Football in Ecuador is very important, even more than anything else," he explains.

"All Ecuadorians love football. When you see a lot of people from our country making it to top teams, it makes you excited to do your job well.

"I've met so many different people in my football journey. I've learned a bit of everything!"

Video is currently not available.

But the players who pushed him to dream of the Premier League are not his ultimate heroes.

That status belongs to his parents, who have been a constant in his life, helping him to overcome a serious injury in 2017 before he made a name for himself at Independiente del Valle. From there he joined Brighton & Hove Albion, and then Chelsea this summer for a reported British record transfer fee.

"My parents have always been my heroes as they've accompanied me throughout the journey", he says.

"They did everything possible for me to become a professional football player."

Also in this series

Part 1: How the Premier League is fighting racism
Part 2: How Sarr's family prepared him for success
Part 3: West Ham achieve Premier League equality standard
Part 4: How clubs and players supported No Room For Racism campaign
Part 5: Ogbene: It's important to teach younger generation about diversity
Part 6: Danjuma: My greatness comes from going through hardship
Part 7: How Wolves are educating young people about inclusion
Part 8: 'It's everyone's responsibility to do something about discrimination'
Part 10: Darren Bent on the men and women who've inspired him
Part 11: Benjamin Zephaniah on the Premier League and the legacy of Windrush
Part 12: Desailly: I looked far for my black sporting heroes
Part 13: Jimenez: Family support helped me become great
Part 14: Pittman: Sharing my knowledge will help the next generation
Part 15: Szoboszlai: My father helped me achieve the impossible
Part 16: Amadou Onana on the people who've inspired him
Part 17: Why family support is so important for Mbeumo and Wissa
Part 18: Gomez: Positive black role models are so important

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