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“This is the way Adrian is,” the Chelsea manager, Claudio Ranieri, says “And he plays like this, too You never hear him shouting or complaining He just gets on with things. He had been relatively quiet for an hour, and yet put away his one chance of the game. His winning goal against Lazio was typical of the man who found the net 17 times for Parma in Serie A last season. That’s why when Mr Abramovich asked me to draw up a list of the players I wanted, I put Mutu right at the top.”On the field, Mutu reminds one of a clever spy who remains unnoticed for long periods before suddenly springing into action at the appropriate time. Suffice to say that the pair, who were known as the Posh and Becks of Romania, are locked in bitter divorce proceedings, including a battle for custody of their son.As we speak, following Wednesday’s 2-1 win that puts Chelsea back on track for qualification for the knockout stages of the lucrative Champions’ League, Mutu is subdued yet reflective – almost suspicious He speaks quietly and thoughtfully.

“My sister Laura now studies maths in Romania at university, and I would have loved to have done that, but football got in the way. You never know, though, I might go back to it one day.”When pushed, the Romanian will discuss almost any subject at length One topic, though, remains totally out of bounds. His three-year marriage to a famous TV presenter back home, Alexandra, has just fallen apart amid rumours of infidelity on both parts, and Mutu will not talk about the matter. In short, Mutu is that rarest of animals: a humble footballer.The Romanian is the first to admit that much of the credit for his development must go to his parents. Mum, Rodica, and dad, Spiridon, are both computer programmers who have their feet planted firmly on the ground. “They never tried to stop me fulfilling my dreams,” Mutu Jnr says, “but they always kept me in touch with reality.” Evenings in the Mutu household were usually spent trying to work out complicated mathematical puzzles around the table “It was great,” Mutu recalls.

Rarer still are those who do not feel the need to tell the world about their abilities Mutu has no interest in talking about seagulls or trawlers. It is not that he is embarrassed, but rather that he does not have the arrogance to presume everyone will be fascinated by his passions, too. “It is just a topic that I have always been interested in,” the £15.8m signing says modestly, in the same way another player might talk about soul music or designer clothes. “I guess I like to keep my mind stimulated, and there can be no better exercise than law.

It is difficult with the football taking up so much of my time, but I hope to graduate next summer from my university in Romania.”After that, who knows? I don’t know whether I’ll eventually go into the profession, but either way it’s a good tool to have at your disposal.”Footballers with extracurricular hobbies are nothing new, but one with such a variety is. While some of his contemporaries spend their spare time on Playstation or partying, Mutu is studying for the final year of his law degree. “I love football, first and foremost, but if I wasn’t in this job I would be more than happy doing all the others.”In many ways, he does. Unlike many of the current homegrown players, who perform with Dr Jekyll professionalism during the day and then behave like hideous Mr Hydes at night, Mutu is a far more attractive man of many disguises.Scoring goals – something that he has achieved with ease and regularity throughout his career – is just one of Mutu’s many talents. He proved that again on Wednesday when he netted Chelsea’s all-important winner in their Champions’ League match with Lazio at Stamford Bridge. A close second is any one of his passions for law, mathematics, poetry, acting, and history “I guess I am the ultimate split personality,” he jokes. Sadly, Adrian Mutu is not an Englishman, but the mere fact that he plies his trade on these shores will do for now.At first sight, the Chelsea striker looks like any other wealthy 24-year-old Premiership footballer He loves fashion, jewellery and nice cars.