Xabi Alonso says Chelsea knew Maxence Lacroix's impact would be 'instant' when the defender arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer.
Lacroix joined the Blues from fellow Londoners Crystal Palace after returning from the World Cup, where he was part of the France squad that reached the semi-finals.
He has needed little time to settle across the capital, featuring in all of Chelsea's league fixtures so far this season and starting all but one.
Last weekend, Lacroix helped Chelsea to a first clean sheet of the league season at Everton, as the Blues made it back-to-backPremier League wins. The defender is set to be central again on Saturday evening, when Tottenham Hotspur visit Stamford Bridge for a London derby.
Ahead of the game, the Chelsea boss singled out Lacroix's readiness and personality as the qualities that have made him such a key figure in his plans.
"Max has many good things, but two of them are that he's ready - we knew that his impact was going to be instant with his Premier League experience, being competitive - and he has a strong personality," Alonso said tochelseafc.com.
“He has great leadership”: Alonso hails Lacroix’s instant influence at Chelsea
Alonso also pointed to the vocal presence Lacroix brings to his backline, and the partnerships he has built alongside Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana.
"He has great leadership. He likes to communicate, to be loud, to be very active in the game, and that presence is very important.
"With the players around him, we are connecting better with him, and he's doing much better. He's doing good now, lately playing with Levi [Colwill] and when he has played with Wes [Fofana]. We are very happy with him and he's feeling good."
Chelsea will be without another summer signing, Emi Martinez, against Spurs. The goalkeeper has undergone surgery for a broken jaw sustained at Everton.
"He had the surgery and day by day he is feeling better, but we still need to wait. A few weeks. Hopefully, less than more, but we need to wait," Alonso said.
"The good thing is that he is feeling better and we need to listen to his feelings, the opinions of the doctors, the specialists, the surgeons. Considering it was a bad one, he is doing good."