Some players clearly have the potential to be superstars, and we report on them from a very young age. Players like Billy Gilmour and Ethan Ampadu had articles written about them on here when they were just 15. But lots of players take longer to develop, even within the youth team. Conor Gallagher and Levi Colwill weren’t given nearly as much hype as someone like Izzy Brown, but both are set for long Premier League careers.
So it’s sometimes interesting to look at the lesser lights of the youth teams. Today brings a perfect excuse, as Alfie Gilchrist has been nominated for the PL2 player of the season award.
Some Chelsea fans will barely now him – he’s a 19 year old centre back who has been a rock for the development squad this season. He will likely move on loan this summer as he reaches a prime age, or perhaps even be sold, but despite not making many headlines, he’s a top prospect for many Premier League teams.
His manager Mark Robinson was full of praise for the defender after his nomination, saying in quotes on the club’s official website that it was “really pleasing that Alfie has been nominated [despite] being a defender.”
“He has shown excellent consistency in his play, as well as taking himself out his comfort zone in terms of what we have asked him to do on the ball,” the coach added.
With Robinson in charge and Gilchrist at the back, the dev squad have recovered from their rocky season and now look set for success once again.
