In our Stamford Shed Season Awards article, I selected Ruben Loftus-Cheek as my Young Player of the Season. Out of all of Chelsea FC’s academy starlets, Ruben excites me the most. He is perfectly molded to succeed at a club as massive as Chelsea. A unique combination of speed, height, strength, and technical ability make the nineteen-year-old stand out from anyone else in the U21 Premier League. He also has these long legs that seem to be able to latch onto just about anything – the lad is an excellent tackler and interceptions come easy to him. A wide range of passing and calmness on the ball doesn’t hurt, either. He has the potential to be an exceptional midfielder, and can be a fixture in José Mourinho’s side for years to come. Loftus-Cheek is a man amongst boys when playing at academy level, and I’ve come to the conclusion that starting next season he needs to be playing in the first team full time. It seems that way as well, with Mourinho in the past saying that Ruben is to ‘stay and play’ at Chelsea next season.
Born in Lewisham, Ruben Loftus-Cheek joined Chelsea Football Club at the young age of eight. He’s worked his way through the academy in what has been an extremely promising period of youth development at the club. There are multiple youngsters in the academy (Dom Solanke, Izzy Brown, and Tammy Abraham to name a few) around him who have huge potential to be special as well. It is worth noting that Ruben is the first of the gang to really begin to break into the first team, but that could also have something to do with the fact that he’s a bit older than the others (Solanke 17, Abraham 17, Brown 18). Above all, Loftus-Cheek’s ascension into the first team is well deserved. After an impressive 2012/13 campaign, Ruben was selected to play in two American post season friendlies against Manchester City. This is where he was first noticed by many, including myself. I watched Loftus-Cheek keep Yaya Toure in his back pocket at Yankee Stadium! Jokes aside, while playing within the Chelsea youth academy at various age levels he was able to collect two FA Youth Cups, a U21 Premier League medal, and a UEFA Youth League title. Young, English, and on the verge of crossing the threshold of playing in the academy to the first team, Ruben is exactly what Chelsea are crying out for. Shockingly, the last player to break through the academy at the club and sustain a career in the first team is captain John Terry who debuted back in 1998.
This season has been the first where Ruben Loftus-Cheek has flirted with first team action. For most of the time, the nineteen-year-old has trained with the Chelsea first team. Having the luxury of training with world class players like John Terry, Eden Hazard, Cesc Fàbregas, and Nemanja Matić will push the youngster to reach new heights. Being nurtured and developed by José Mourinho, arguably the best manager in the world, will do a world of good for Ruben. Donning the #36 shirt, his debut came in a Champions League match against Sporting Lisbon at Stamford Bridge, where he impressed in a short cameo. The next month a Premier League debut arrived after Ruben was brought on in stoppage time against Manchester City. Decent bits of first team action, training with the first team, and participating in academy matches simultaneously prepared him for his biggest moment in his young blossoming career in a blue shirt.
Sunday 10th May marked Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s inaugural selection for the Chelsea first team. In our first game since clinching the title, Chelsea welcomed Liverpool to the Bridge. Loftus-Cheek’s first start began with a guard of honour from Steven Gerrard and the Reds, which highlights one of the best aspects of the youngsters Chelsea upbringing: he is tasting success and getting used to winning at a young age, as he grows and develops. All of Ruben’s accomplishments thus far in his career are merely a taste of success, which above all will result in his hunger for trophies to skyrocket. Mourinho was focused on three points for sure but it was clear he was jumping at the first opportunity to incorporate his highly rated youngsters into the starting eleven. Loftus-Cheek slotted into defensive midfield next to John Obi Mikel. I would have rather seen Ruben next to Matić, but we can’t all get what we want, can we? The nineteen-year-old played sixty minutes and put in an extremely impressive performance. Ruben, a teenager, didn’t seem nervous at all. He was calm, cool, and to be honest, looked like he belonged on that pitch. His impressive showcase can be best described by his statistics from the sixty minutes of action. The following image is via Stats Zone and Four Four Two:
The most staggering stat of all. Loftus-Cheek completed all 27 of his passes.
Ruben also completed 3 out of 4 of his tackles, notched 3 interceptions, while committing just two fouls. He departed in the second half and was met by a lovely ovation from the Stamford Bridge faithful. After the game, José had some encouraging words toward the youngster: ‘I think he did well but I think it’s better for him to play 60 minutes and leave the pitch in good condition then to stay on until the end, because in the second half Liverpool had more of the ball, Coutinho was getting between the lines and attacking the space. It was a fantastic experience for him to feel the intensity and speed in which he has to compete so I’m happy. He’s going to be a Chelsea player, no doubt, and we have other kids I believe can do it as well. The intensity of the game was different to what he is used to. In the second half he was chasing more, so I’d prefer to give him a good hour rather than a difficult last 20-25 minutes.’
Ruben Loftus-Cheek has risen through the ranks of Chelsea Football Club, and is on the brink of breaking into José Mourinho’s squad. He’s already accomplished great feats within the academy and is a player who has potential to be special for both Chelsea and England in the future. Next season, I hope to see him in midfield next to Matić, in the middle of the pitch…
