Youth & Reserves

With almost half of all players used this season still at school, Chelsea are looking to the future like never before. No fewer than nineteen Under-16s or Under-15s appeared for Dermot Drummy this season as players pushed on through the ranks. The Blues may have finished a lowly ninth in Premier Academy League Group A, but followers would be wise to heed Drummy’s words and explanations as to the aims…

The season started and finished at Stamford Bridge, but the fact that only three players started both matches speaks volumes not only about the depth of quality in the ranks at this level, but the work done by Steve Holland and his coaching staff in juggling players on a game by game basis. A total of forty players turned out for the so-called ‘second string’, including no fewer than three…

England Under-21 captain and Chelsea defender Michael Mancienne has this afternoon arrived in Germany to finalise a €2m transfer to Bundesliga outfit Hamburg. After completing a medical, Mancienne will sign terms on a four-year deal before heading off to join back up with Stuart Pearce’s England squad ahead of the start of next week’s European Under-21 Championships. He will become Frank Arnesen’s first official signing since the former Danish international…

It’s generally been a successful season for Chelsea when looking at the exploits their young loanees have gotten up to in the last nine months. With Daniel Sturridge scoring at a fine pace in the Premier League and more players in England’s second tier than in any recent season, the next generation at Stamford Bridge are making waves. Whether it’s good enough to see them push through at the club…

For the second successive season, Chelsea’s academy has finished the campaign with silverware. The youth team were unable to defend their FA Youth Cup crown from last season, but many of them were key figures as the Reserves won their first regional title since 1994 and followed it up by securing the national title a week later. Add in a number of successful loan spells and increasingly impressive youth international…

It was the last day of training for the Chelsea reserve team at Cobham today, and for two champions it meant a final farewell to their colleagues before they head for pastures new next season. Midfielder Michael Woods and Czech goalkeeper Jan Sebek will both take the next steps in their careers as their contracts expire at the end of next month, and they have not been offered terms for…

Chelsea are Barclays Reserve League Champions. A pulsating national final at Stamford Bridge was settled by penalties after goals from Mauro Formica and Todd Kane had left both Chelsea and Blackburn at a stalemate after ninety minutes. The first six kicks were scored, but Rovers midfielder Michael Potts saw his effort stopped by Ross Turnbull, and minutes later Michael Woods converted the deciding penalty to send those who had turned…

The end of the Premier Academy League season this week saw two young Chelsea boys wear the blue shirt for the final time, as Ben Sampayo and Bobby Devyne were confirmed to be departing at the end of their contracts this summer. They will almost surely joined by Anton Rodgers, who hasn’t appeared for the club since the start of March. The trio all signed two-year youth scholarship deals in…

Chelsea brought their 2010-11 academy campaign to a close on Thursday lunchtime with a 2-1 defeat away to an impressive Charlton Athletic team. First half goals from Adebayo Azeez and Bradley Goldberg were enough to secure three points for the Addicks, who move above the Blues in the table, but a strong second half showing from the visitors threatened to take a share of the spoils. The closing weeks of…