Chelsea’s Premier League match against Leicester marked a very important moment for the club. For the first time in its 110 year history, Chelsea fielded 3 academy graduates as substitutes. The day got even better for the fans when Nathaniel Chalobah produced an outrageous no-look backheel assist to set up Victor Moses's goal.
The game against Leicester was a glimpse at what our academy has produced over the past half a decade during which Roman Abramovich has invested millions into the academy. With a state of the art training ground at Cobham that has 33 pitches, 6 of which are premier league standard, the academy has been gaining a bit of much-required traction in the last few years. And it can be seen from the 5 FA youth cups, one U21 Premier League trophy and the back to back UEFA Youth Champions league wins in the last 7 years.
Here we will look at the players who are lesser known but are filled with a lot of potential to have a crack at the first team. This means that players like Tammy Abraham, Lewis Baker, Dominic Solanke and Charly Musonda and a host of other players who are a part of the 33 man Loan squad will not be touched upon. Also, players like Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ola Aina, Nathaniel Chalobah and Jason Clarke-Salter who have had prominent first team exposure will not be talked about.
Kasey Palmer:
The first player and the only one among this group that's out on loan is 19-year-old Kasey Palmer. An attacking midfielder by trade, he scored 16 goals in 30 games last season which helped the team secure a 3rd FA cup on the trot and a 2nd UEFA Youth cup. He has a penchant for scoring crucial goals much like Chelsea's midfield legend Frank Lampard.
The teenager scored in the semi-final against Anderlecht and also scored and assisted in the final against PSG which helped the team lift the trophy. Technically adept and physically dominant, he combines both to good effect and is usually a trouble for his marker because of his quick feet. One of the brightest prospects to come out of England in the recent times, it won't be long until he makes a name for himself.
#2 Jay Dasilva
Arguably the most complete and versatile player on this list, Jay Dasilva has made his name by breaking through the ranks as quick as he sprints on the pitch. He is so composed for a left back of his age that in the 2015 season he had to juggle his time between 3 age groups. And he did it so with aplomb by winning both the FA and UEFA Youth cups.
Quick in his stride with a short but strong frame, Jay can hold his own against taller and stronger wingers with his incredible positioning and pace. Anyone who has watched him knows that he always gives his 100% and more often than not his energy and positivity rubs off the team. If he can become physically compatible to the Premier League football, it is safe to say that Chelsea's left-back problem will be solved for the next decade.
Fun fact: Jay Dasilva and Jason Clarke-Salter along with 5 other United's famous Busby Babes are a part of the select 7 man group who have won the FA Youth cup treble.
#3 Fikayo Tomori
The John Terry of the group, Fikayo Tomori was Chelsea FC's Youth Player of the season for 2016. From being a player who jumps into tackles recklessly and has a bad temperament, he worked hard on his character and positional awareness to become crucial for the team as shown by him scoring in both the FA and UEFA Youth cup finals.
He loves to defend one on one and has an aggression about him to win the ball back. In a day where the defenders like to be safer in their positioning and tackle, Tomori brings the old school defending back. And just because of this one reason, he is a player to watch.
#4 Jacob Maddox
At the Chelsea youth set up since 2013, he is one of the less experienced members of the academy. But what he lacks in experience, he makes up for it in his end result. One more from the attacking midfielders bucket, he is a tricky operator from the midfield very similar to one Willian.
Maddox has scored 12 goals in 51 appearances last season highlighting his eye for the goal. The youngster likes dribbling away from opponents and more often than not he succeeds and if he doesn’t, he wins a free kick. Fresh from the success of the FA and UFEA Youth cups, Jacob Maddox will be around for a while from now.
#5 Mason Mount
Having been at the club since the age of 6, Mason Mount is a Chelsea player through and through. Always humble and grounded, Mason Mount has made his way through the ranks as an attacking midfielder with his grit and determination to play for the first team one day.
And from the looks of it, he is well on his way to becoming a first team player soon. He is as much a fighter as a smooth operator (Imagine a blend of Michael Essien and Michael Ballack). Mason Mount is an example of how players must compose themselves even at youth levels. Though he might not realistically get a chance at Chelsea, he will be an invaluable asset to any team in the near future.
We can see that Chelsea has been doing an exceptional job at youth Development in the last decade. But the reality remains that Loftus-Cheek has been the only player to get meaningful first team minutes since Josh McEachran. The problem has clearly been at Youth integration rather than the development. But with Antonio Conte now at the helm, the future looks better for the academy graduates.
Roman Abramovich genuinely wants to bring up exciting homegrown talent into the first team given the amount of time he spends watching the youth teams and the staff he has recruited to give it his best shot. There will definitely be a day when having three academy graduates as substitutes will be a norm and not an exception.
