'I had to leave Chelsea to save my career'

The 22-year-old quit Stamford Bridge in the summer, joining Ligue 1 giants Lyon for a fee of £9m.

Having just returned from a successful loan spell with Ajax, the Burkina Faso international was highly rated in the corridors at Cobham but when the 'Blues' failed to guarantee him vital game time, Traore opted for a move to pastures new and it is fair to say he does not regret the decision one bit.

'Going from Chelsea was the best decision for me. I am enjoying myself, as a young players you can only improve if you are playing every week,' he explained.

'I enjoyed my time at Chelsea and when I had opportunities to show what I could do on the pitch, I took them with both hands. But there weren't any guarantee I would play.

'Yes, I would be happy if it was me in the Chelsea first-team playing every weekend, but this is football and you have to take decisions. Along with Chelsea, I took the decision to sign for Lyon and I am happy with that.'

Despite the French side recently denying reports that the deal to sign the youngster included a buy-back clause, Traore is refusing to rule out a return to Chelsea in the future, something that would see him follow in the footsteps of the likes of Didier Drogba, David Luiz and Nemanja Matic.

'Why not, it is up to me to develop and progress as a player and prove that I am good enough to play in the Premier League,' he said. 'Others went back, it is a possibility. I have to focus on Lyon, do my best and see what I do in the future.'

Traore started for Lyon in their Europa League victory over Everton last week and scored a late winner with a sumptuous flick and the forward says that his journey to the final last year with Ajax made him realise just how big a deal the competition really is.

'It was an amazing result (against Everton). We didn't start well in the competition but going to Everton and getting a victory is a big achievement,' added Traore.

'Playing in the final last year against United was a dream. At this stage, you don't realise how big the Europa League gets. The further you go in the tournament, the more you see it.'

Traore has scored four goals in 13 games so far this season in all competitions from the right wing and whilst that won't have Chelsea ruing their decision to sell too much, it appears that there is still plenty more to come from the 22-year-old.