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Straight Outta Cobham

Chelsea FC Academy: The Golden Generation


Every soccer player dreams of playing under the lights during the UEFA Champions League, the famous anthem playing while 70,000 fans cheer them on. The Champions League is the most prestigious club competition in the world and is played between what the name implies – the champions of the last year’s top European leagues. It’s considered an honor just to play in the competition and its final is the most anticipated game of the year, played between the best in the world. From 13 year olds playing the anthem on their phones before their own games to 35 year old professional players hoping next year will be their year, the Champions League is the most attractive and exciting platform to play the universal game of soccer. 


The UEFA Youth League is an annual competition organized for under-21 players, a smaller version of the Champions League for the top European clubs to prepare their academy players. Between 2015 and 2019, the London-based Chelsea FC made the final four times and won twice. Chelsea FC’s “golden generation” of players who came through the academy at that time are now finding their place on the world stage. From the training grounds of Cobham, Surrey to Oporto, Portugal, some of these players have already found their place as global superstars, even winning the Champions League themselves in the span of five short years.





One of Our Own: Chelsea Academy Players Currently at Chelsea FC


Chelsea FC is considered to be one of the strongest clubs in the world and always a candidate to win the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. Due to this, they historically spend a lot of money to bring in high-level established players from other teams. This makes it extremely difficult for an unproven <21 year old to find a place in the senior team. In 2019, FIFA, the worldwide governing body of professional soccer, sanctioned a transfer ban against Chelsea lasting one year. This opened opportunities for many of the academy’s golden generation to get time playing with the senior team. Since 2019, thirteen academy players have debuted for Chelsea FC’s senior team. Six players from the Chelsea academy are currently playing with the senior team. In 2021, Chelsea FC proved themselves the best team in the world and won the Champions League. Andreas Christensen, Reece James, Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Billy Gilmour, Tino Anjorin, and Tammy Abraham all graduated from the Chelsea academy and were a part of this winning team, proving that it was possible for young kids playing in the academy to someday win the biggest trophy in the world with the team they loved.



Finding Success Away: Chelsea Academy Players Away from Chelsea FC


With so much talent at Chelsea FC, it can still be very difficult to break into the senior team though. Fortunately, many players from the Chelsea Academy golden generation have found success on other teams within the English Premier League and in top teams in other European leagues. Fikayo Tomori was able to see his dream come true playing for the historic AC Milan in the Champions League this year, who are leading the Italian league currently. Tammy Abraham is playing for A.S. Roma in Italy. Within the English Premier League, Marc Guehi, Tariq Lamptey, Billy Gilmour, and Conor Gallagher have all found themselves to become essential parts of their teams. 


Ultimately, it’s probably sweeter to find success at your boyhood club, but many Chelsea FC academy players have become excellent players at their new clubs. Whether you get to lift the Champions League trophy in a Chelsea kit like Mason Mount and Reece James, or you get to hear the Champions League anthem in the San Siro in Milan like Fikayo Tomori, the Chelsea Academy has created opportunities for many young players to show their abilities and prepare them for professional play. The Chelsea Academy has presented the foundations for its young players to be some of the greatest players in the world. 

Comments

  1. Jack PerezFebruary 26, 2022 at 6:33 PM

    Nice post Ethan. That's pretty wild that some of these players stick with the same club from such a young age. I know how seriously people take their soccer teams in Europe but it's a weird concept to think that you kinda play/work at the same place for a majority of your life. It also makes you wonder how some of these players must feel when they don't get a chance to play with their team and have to go somewhere else. I can't imagine they're complaining too much when they're playing for teams like AC Milan, but it still must be somewhat saddening to leave the team you've loved your whole life.

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  2. AnonymousFebruary 27, 2022 at 12:16 PM

    Hi Ethan,
    Your post was really interesting. Despite playing soccer growing up, I don't know much about it in a professional sense. However, I have always found it really interesting how soccer in particular focuses on youth development programs as a way to grow the game. It's working, too, considering the growing popularity in the US. No matter what team players end up with, I'm sure it just feels good to be living out a childhood dream.
    -Samantha

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  3. UnknownFebruary 27, 2022 at 1:40 PM

    Hi Ethan,

    Thanks for sharing with us. As a former soccer player, this post definitely resonated with me because I love the game of soccer. It is true that every player wants to get on that pitch infront of all those fans and play the game that they love. Its crazy how all these players start at such a young age and play for these super good clubs, but eventually go elsewhere or stop playing the game of soccer.

    -Etienne

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