Ever since 2005, Cobham has been the home of Chelsea’s training ground – a revolutionary development responsible for creating some of the finest young talent over the past two decades. The success of Cobham is down to many key contributors, and the list of footballing talent it has produced is too long to list.
Cobham is Creating a Legacy
When Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003, the training facilities were identified as one of the key priorities to help develop Chelsea from a mid-table Premier League team to a global force. Upgrading from the Harlington training ground which had been used since the 1970s, Chelsea swiftly moved into the modern facilities (although work wasn’t completely finished until 2007), seen then as one of the most innovative and complete training grounds in the world.
The results were emphatic – Chelsea already had a strong history of bringing through local talent (see John Terry), but Cobham gave them the facilities to grow both their training set up and develop their youth set up into one of the world’s best. Over the next two decades, through smart investment, the best coaches and leading-edge education, Cobham would go on to help Chelsea create some of the world’s best talent.
Surrey Supplies the Soul
Located in the heart of Surrey, Cobham has been the home to countless footballing fantasies and developments throughout the past 20 years. Just south of London, set in idyllic hills and green fields, the location is seen as the ideal place for Chelsea FC’s training ground, and the success of its alumni speaks for itself.
The ground itself is remarkable, with Cobham being home to 22 full sized pitches, some of which have undersoil heating and even one artificial pitch – ensuring training can take place all season. The Chelsea Women’s team can also call Cobham home, and the Surrey sanctuary is also home to a 1,000-seater stadium, meaning UEFA Youth League matches can be hosted there.
Chelsea’s Gift of Leadership
The thousands of names that have come through Cobham dwarfs that of any other Premier League youth set up. Famously, Reece James, current captain, remains one of the most recent highlights. However, looking further into the past makes you realise just how many world-renowned stars came through Chelsea’s development programme.
Declan Rice, Dominic Solanke, Ryan Bertrand, Eddie Nketiah and Michael Olise are just a few names who have gone on to shine at other clubs away from Surrey. Cobham has grown into an envied development across the globe and continues to produce superstars each season – the repeated sale of which has grown into a controversial topic around Chelsea, but the fact remains that Cobham is a world-class institution producing the very best talent.
Chelsea FC Training Ground Address
The full address for Chelsea’s development centre is:
Chelsea FC Training Ground Cobham, 64 Stoke Rd, Stoke D’Abernon, Cobham KT11 3PT.
