Chelsea starlet Billy Gilmour has admitted to the Four Lads Had A Dream podcast that he was expecting to be loaned out this season after Frank Lampard’s summer spending spree.
Instead, the ex-Rangers youngster, who is on the comeback trail from a serious knee injury, remained at Stamford Bridge and is now happy to stay and fight for a first team place amidst a host of big-name competition.
The19-year-old put in consecutive man of the match performances last season against Liverpool and Everton, the first of which came on his full senior debut, and now Gilmour wants to continue progressing. He said: “I never thought I would be where I am just now. I thought maybe the next year I would go on loan.”
The youngster admits he looks to his current teammates for inspiration, telling the podcast: “You see the youth players coming through at Chelsea now – like Mason Mount, Reece James, Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori, they have won the FA Youth Cup seven times in the last 10 years.
“It is incredible, the youth set-up is amazing and I just had to take the next step in my career and go and challenge myself again.”
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While you must admire the youngster’s self-confidence and belief in being able to challenge for a place in the current first team, his injury coupled with the embarrassment of riches available to Frank Lampard could mean that Gilmour may be best off looking to head out on loan for the second half of the season.
Fellow attacking midfielders Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek both took the option to leave the club on loan recently as they failed to see a pathway to regular first team action, and Gilmour would be wise to follow them in order to continue his development.
Undoubtedly talented, should the teenager leave the club on a temporary basis, it’s likely it would only be just that. However, should he stay at Stamford Bridge for the duration of this season, it’s possible he may only manage a handful of appearances, which could stunt his growth.
