Exclusive - Former Chelsea defender Ashley Cole has admitted to being very impressed by youth academy prodigy Billy Gilmour, and claims he can have 'a season to be remembered' next year.
The 19-year-old broke into the Chelsea first-team at the start of the calendar year, wowing supporters with commanding some displays - firstly against Liverpool in the FA Cup, and then in a 4-0 victory over Everton in the Premier League.
Gilmour's progress was then stunted after he picked up a knee injury in July, which ruled him out for the remainder of the season. But in an exclusive interview with 90min ahead of the Europa League final on Friday, Chelsea coach Cole has backed the starlet to recover from this blow, praising his 'football intelligence' and 'game awareness.'
"I work with the Under-16s so I'm in the development stage of it, but obviously I've always gone back and gone to the training ground and watched the players develop. For me, hopefully Billy Gilmour will have a season to be remembered," Cole said.
"Obviously he started well, then he got that injury so he's had a little setback but hopefully next season he'll come back stronger. He's one I definitely want to keep my eye on.
"I think for a young boy - 19 years of age - his football intelligence is very good, his game awareness, and his game understanding. It's putting him in good stead and ready for first-team football, which for me as a young coach, is what we're trying to give the young kids an idea of - that in two years, you could be in the first-team, you've got people like Billy and Mason (Mount).
"Tactically, that game and football understanding you're trying to put into them now, so if they do go and train with the first team in two years, they're ready, the manager can count on them and the big one is trust them."
? Ashley Cole retired from football on this day last year...
— 90min (@90min_Football) August 18, 2020
One match that he would re-play?
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Cole also lauded the youth academy system at Stamford Bridge, which has produced a fantastic crop of talented young footballers in recent years - insisting that their players return as 'men' following their loan moves away from west London.
"So, Chelsea have done a fantastic job in terms of developing young kids," he added. "Yes, they go out on loan, but they come back as men, ready for first-team football at Chelsea."
The Blues enjoyed a successful season during Lampard's maiden voyage as head coach, clinching a top-four spot and reaching the FA Cup final. All eyes will be on whether the former Derby County boss continues to put his faith in the Chelsea youth stars next year, having spent big on the likes of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner in the summer.
Ashley Cole was speaking to 90min ahead of the 2019/20 UEFA Europa League final, which Sevilla will contest against Inter on Friday, 21 August at Stadion Köln in Cologne. Kick-off 20:00 BST.
Source: 90min
