Frank Lampard has been hailed as the saviour of the Chelsea Youth Academy so far this season as he has opted to promote and use a number of the players from the clubs academy.
It is undeniable that many of these players would not be getting the chances they are getting under Frank, if it were a different manager in charge.
You also have to think that the fact they are transfer banned has also played a part in this.
But many of these youngsters have already proven that it was a great decision to include them in the first team squad, and it is something that many fans have been crying out for at the club for many years.
But Lampard is keen to divert the praise away from him and encourage us to remember one of the main people behind the success of the academy, Neil Bath.
Bath is the Chelsea Head of Youth Development and has been at the club since 1993!
He worked his way up from a part time tole with the schoolboys, to now running all things Development wise.
Lampard has been speaking highly of Bath, as reported by Goal.
He said:
“The picture here I think I have been getting it wrong as if I am the saviour of the academy and be all things all good to young players getting through.
“I think a lot of that work has been done without by Neil Bath and all the staff and recruitment and the young lads themselves.
“Now, my job is to try and do the best with what I have got in front of me. I have walked into a club that has got a lot of young talent in it.
“Some of it hasn’t touched the first team yet, most of it. I just look at it and go let’s see how you train, act and behave.
“Your desire, etcetera, day-in-day-out. If they reach a level, then they play.
“I think Neil Bath and the academy have been working hard at that for years. They deserve more credit at that than me, certainly at the moment for these young players that are in the squad.
“It is my job to keep improving them.”
