I GAMBLED ..AND I WON BIG

Luiz: I was enjoying a great life in Paris but I took a risk – and a pay cut – to come back to Chelsea.. and it has paid off

DAVID LUIZ took a “risk” as well as a pay cut to come back to Chelsea.

But his decision could be doubly vindicated less than a year after his return.

Luiz has fully justified boss Antonio Conte’s decision to turn to him last summer as Chelsea searched for a centre-back.

The decision to re-sign Luiz for £34million from Paris Saint-Germain raised eyebrows after his error-prone and erratic first spell at Stamford Bridge.

But the Brazil defender has come back new and improved, hardly put a foot wrong and been a rock at the back, as the Blues stormed to the Premier League title (Luiz posing with his winner’s medal, below).

And they could make it a double by beating Arsenal in tomorrow’s FA Cup Final at Wembley.

The 30-year-old said: “I was winning in Paris. I went there for two years and won all the titles in France. I had a great life, I had a great credibility with the club. I had everything and then I took a risk to come back to a country that was not that happy with me.

“They always criticise me a lot, even with the Champions League and Europa League. That’s why it was a risk – and I love the risk.

“I think, in your life, if you don’t take a risk you’re not going to taste something new.

“Not just in your professional life, it’s every day. I’m very happy because I took the decision and it

was the right decision.” There was also a financial hit that came with returning to Stamford Bridge for Luiz (celebrating with Didier Drogba after winning the Champions League in 2012, below).

“If you want to know about the money, I cut my salary to come back here,” he said. “But it’s OK, God has given me a lot so I’m happy with this.”

The defender achieved his big target of helping the Blues win the league – one of the trophies he missed out on in his first spell. He celebrated by spending over £1million on gifts for his team-mates.

Luiz has an FA Cup win on his CV from 2012 but had to sit out the final due to injury. He added: “I don’t want to miss this one. I want to play and try to give my best for the team.

“We play against a fantastic side so must be at our highest level to win the final.”