Chelsea closed their five-match trip through Sydney, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Malaysia with a 3-3 draw against Johor Darul Ta'zim, a game in which Liam Delap converted two penalties and a late own goal completed the scoring.
Essugo led the team out for the first time in his career, an honour the midfielder said caught him off guard. "
It was a surprise to be captain, but for me, it was a pleasure. I didn't expect to be captain at this age for this big club, so for me it's just a pleasure, and I enjoyed it a lot," he said.
"I feel like it's a message for me and for all the players, that it's not about the age, but maybe about your maturity, so it's about learning and staying positive."
Essugo pointed to his working relationship with new manager Xabi Alonso, appointed at the start of the summer, as central to the decision.
"I'm enjoying working with the manager. We mentioned it a lot in this pre-season, but he was a very good player. It was a surprise that he gave me the captaincy but I'm very happy. He's a very good person, so for me this is the most important thing."
He also singled out the reception Chelsea received across the tour, recalling fans waiting at the team hotel in the early hours after a late arrival: "We landed at 3am yesterday and there were lots of fans waiting for us at the hotel. This is huge for us, and we are very happy, and of course, they deserve everything on their end."
Away from the first team, Chelsea are working through a separate piece of academy business. Walsh, who returned from the Australia and Asia trip having become the club's youngest-ever Champions League player and made three further senior appearances, is set to head to Wigan Athletic on a season-long loan in League One once personal terms and a medical are finalised - with an improved contract at Chelsea expected to be signed first.
Wigan have already done business with Chelsea in the other direction this window, having sold midfielder Harrison Bettoni, a player in a comparable position to Walsh, to strengthen the west London club's academy ranks. A second loan is also close for winger Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, who travelled with the first-team squad on tour and is nearing a move to Championship side Portsmouth.