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Chelsea FC’s reserve squad, or The Little Blues as they’re known, are beneficiaries of a high-facility, world class and state of the art youth infrastructure. Their alumni, to name a few, consist of high profile names like Ron Harris, Peter Osgood, Bobby Tambling, Ray Wilkins, Terry Venables, Graeme Le Saux and John Terry. The Chelsea U-19s are the reigning champions of the FA Youth Cup, which is considered to be the biggest stage for upcoming talents in England. They have won it on two occasions in the last three years – in 2010 and 2012, finishing runners up in the 2008 edition. Also, they were the winners of the Premier Reserve League in 2011. Having been favourites for this year’s NextGen series, the side reached the finals, eventually losing out to another English side Aston Villa.
After moving to Cobham training ground in 2008, the Academy has been fostering players to support the new-look Chelsea with primary focus on the attacking brand of football. Post-2008, the Academy has undergone remarkable transformation, yielding positive results. It is bursting with talent at the moment, as is evident from the number of Chelsea youngsters plying their trade with top clubs all around Europe.
Over here, we pick 5 of Chelsea’s young prospects who are sure to catch the footballing world by storm in the coming years.
Islam Feruz
Quite easily the first name to be drawn, indicative of his performances in the FA Youth Cup last season, the Scot scored 6 goals in 8 games in the competition, including a brace in the final against Blackburn. He has been equally impressive this season, scoring in the NextGen series against teams like Juventus, Barcelona, Molde FK and Arsenal. Comfortable with either foot, he uses his short height to twist and turn with a sudden burst of pace, making him a versatile player. He can play wide on the right side, but is usually deployed as a center forward, where he has made maximum impact.
Nathan Ake
Seen those dreadlocks somewhere? The Dutch-born player has astonishing resemblance to former player Ruud Gullit, in looks as well as playing style. The Dutchman plays a defensive role, playing either as a deep lying central midfielder or a holding midfielder, also operating as makeshift left back sometimes. He has great composure, passing ability and is calm on the ball, often dictating the play. Having already broken into the first team, he is surely a long term prospect for Chelsea.
Josh McEachran
The midfielder became Chelsea’s youngest player in the Champion’s League at 17 years when he came on as a substitute against MSK Zilina in 2010. Looking at his physical tools, it is hard to imagine him making an impact in the Premier League but he makes up for it with his ability to read the pitch and his neat passing. He comes up with regular flashes of brilliance with his pin-perfect passing, which accomplished players wouldn’t even attempt. Currently under a loan spell at Middlesbrough he’s getting exposure to 2 main things- regular match time and touches on the ball. Having already been seen as a success story by Chelsea supporters, it is easy to discern that he will be one of the best mid-fielders in England in the coming years.
Nathaniel Chalobah
The 18 year old Sierra Leone-born midfielder is currently on loan at Watford in the Championship. Having joined Chelsea at the age of ten, Chalobah has regularly captained the youth and reserve team and even led the side to glory in the 2012 FA Youth Cup. He is a technically brilliant midfielder, equally adept playing as a central defender. His exquisite ball control and tremendous work rate have made him a key player for Watford this season as they push for promotion. In 28 appearances for Watford, he has scored 4 goals. It is reported that Arsenal are keen on the player and are ready to offer him first team football next season. It is hard to ascertain anything about his future, but he’s sure to make waves in the Premier League in future.
Todd Kane
Currently on loan at Blackburn Rovers, the Englishman joined Chelsea at under-8 level and has since then progressed through the ranks in the youth system, The 19 year old is a quick right back with an energetic approach and is tenacious on the tackle, also having the ability to score from distance. He played a huge part in the Chelsea’s NextGen match against Barcelona when even after being reduced to 10 men; they beat the Catalan side 2-0. He laid on the opener for Islam Feruz before clearing off the line early on as Barca tried to impose themselves. It remains to be seen whether the teenager is ready to break into Chelsea’s scheme of things next season. If he does it will be a dream come true for the Englishman.
