Following Chelsea's Club World Cup triumph over Palmeiras this past weekend, club captain Cesar Azpilicueta became the first Blues player in history to complete a clean sweep of major trophies.

Since arriving at Stamford Bridge from Marseille in 2012 for what - in hindsight - was a bargain £7 million, the 32-year-old Spaniard has lifted no less than nine significant honours with the west London outfit.

Affectionately known by the Chelsea fanbase as 'Dave', the veteran defender had previously won the Premier League twice, as well as picking up Champions League, Europa League, European Super Cup, FA Cup and League Cup winners medals, before Saturday's victory in Abu Dhabi.

However, despite the player's glittering resume, former Sheffield United boss Neil Warnock has claimed that Azpilicueta is far from "a great defender" and branded him "lucky" to have spent the last decade at Chelsea.

"It goes two ways. I think he’s been very fortunate lad to be at a club like Chelsea," suggested the outspoken 73-year-old, per talkSPORT.

"I don’t think he’s a great defender. Sometimes in football, you need a bit of luck and I think he’s had a bit of luck that he’s been there at the right time and at the right place.

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - FEBRUARY 12: Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea celebrates with the FIFA Club World Cup trophy following victory in the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2021 Final match between Chelsea and Palmeiras at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium on February 12, 2022 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

"That’s what you need in football. You need a bit of luck to be successful."

It's a pretty harsh assessment of a man who has won everything there is to win at club level (we're not counting the Community Shield as a major trophy, for the record).

You can check out a clip of Warnock's comments below.

Watch: Neil Warnock bashes Cesar Azpilicueta

We're not saying this has influenced Warnock's opinion in any way, but the pair do have history.

Back in May 2019, Warnock was fined £20,000 for raging at officials after Azpilicueta scored a controversial goal for Chelsea against his Cardiff City side. The Blues captain later joked that he would pay the sanction on Warnock's behalf.

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Although Warnock clearly isn't a huge fan of Azpilicueta, the defender looks likely to attract plenty of attention from suitors when his Chelsea deal expires in the summer.

When the likes of Barcelona are interested in securing your services, it's fair to say you can still operate at a decent level.

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