Chelsea chief Ron Gourlay insists the club will soon boast a strong English base. Gourlay dismisses those who argue that Chelsea have lost their English core: with Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole gone, and only captain John Terry remaining. He told the London Evening Standard: “We’ve also got a core of superb young English boys coming through. I think I know who, in time, could be the next John Terry but I will not name him. “We have a great academy process. But the academy started nine years ago and you don’t start delivering players immediately. We’re now seeing three academy players in the first-team squad [Nathan Ake, Andreas Christensen and Lewis Baker] which is fantastic. Now let’s see them break into the first team and play regularly. Jose has said if Izzy Brown, Dominic Solanke and Lewis Baker are not in the Chelsea first team in a couple of years, he will have failed. He takes great pride in the academy. “Early investment in playing staff paid dividends in creating a team admired around the world but to keep Chelsea among the elite we have always known we must produce our own world-class talent. We are beginning to see the benefits of our academy. Our aim is to continue creating sustainable and enduring success on and off the pitch through this dedicated academy programme, while striking a balance with continued investment in world class players and personnel. This, in turn, will also help us meet our long-term objectives for Financial Fair Play.”
Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 05:30:57 +0000
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