Youth & Reserves

The Todd Boehly era is well and truly upon us all at Chelsea, including the academy, and as we start a new season there’s an air of both excitement and trepidation that comes with great upheaval. For the time being, at least, expect business as usual down at Cobham, and that means welcoming a new class of first-year scholars inducted into their youth team careers down at the academy this…

For a club that sits second in the all-time winners’ table and has lifted the trophy in six of the last ten editions – including five in a row – it seems far too long since Chelsea actually laid their hands on the FA Youth Cup. Reece James captained the 2017-18 vintage to a record-equalling success under Jody Morris but, not only has that success dried up more recently, the…

The dust has settled and the calm after the storm is gently guiding Chelsea Football Club from a somewhat controversial summer into the winter. Discontent is rarely far from Stamford Bridge and, though it seems unlikely to return in the next few months, in the wake of the departures of so many talented academy graduates who were far from content with their lot, thoughts inevitably drift towards what the future…

Change is frequent in youth football but, even by recent standards, Chelsea have really pushed the boat out this summer. A tumultuous transfer window has seen several talented young players depart Cobham in search of progress and pathways elsewhere, leaving an ever more inexperienced and fledgling group of players following in their footsteps. And who’s to say that those very players won’t have seen what Marc Guehi, Tino Livramento, Lewis…

Life over the last twelve months has been a world away from ‘normal’ for everyone but, for 15- and 16-year-old academy footballers, things turning upside down at a crucial time in their lives is undoubtedly an unwelcome stress and a challenge the likes of which they will scarcely have faced before. They experienced a two-month absence in their football games programme during a school year where much of their work…

‘We don’t need Hakimi, we have Livramento!” If you know, you know. And, even if you don’t, you probably still know. Where there are potential new first-team signings, there are talented prospects with pathways to consider, and this summer has been no different as Chelsea’s pursuit of Inter wing-back Achraf Hakimi has cast doubt on the immediate route into Thomas Tuchel’s squad for Valentino Livramento, the current Chelsea Academy Player…

“Go see the French lad, he’s the star.” If Michael Ballack was having a little fun with reporters back in 2007, it certainly didn’t feel like it. Brendan Rodgers’ Reserves had just lost to Birmingham City at Brentford’s Griffin Park despite fielding six future senior internationals alongside the former Germany captain, who was on the comeback trail after injury, but Gael Kakuta was already well on his way to becoming…

“The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterday – but never jam to-day.” “It must come sometimes to ‘jam to-day’,” Alice objected. “No, it can’t,” said the Queen. “It’s jam every other day: to-day isn’t any other day, you know.” “I don’t understand you,” said Alice. “It’s dreadfully confusing!” Silly season is upon us and, by that, I mean the time of year when people grow sillier in the face…

The most tumultuous, unpredictable and challenging season of (many of) our lifetimes has drawn to a close at academy level, and it almost goes without saying that navigating life in general during a global pandemic has been far from easy but running a youth development programme during that time has come with specific challenges that have tested the resolve of staff, players, families and friends more than ever before. When…