Chelsea midfielder Kai Havertz has revealed that he has been impressed by team-mate Billy Gilmour.
“We all know that Billy is a very talented player with a lot of qualities,” Kai Havertz told Chelsea’s official site.
“He is still very young like me, but in the Champions League he played very good, and we are all very happy with him. He has a big future ahead of him.
“We know we created a lot of chances but we have to score the goals, but we didn’t do that. We have to practice for that of course.”
After missing the first two months of the season following knee surgery in the summer, Gilmour made his first start of the season last week in his side’s 1-1 Champions League draw against Krasnodar.
The Scotland U21 international is one of the most highly-rated young prospects within the Blues first-team. He was introduced to the first-team picture last season and made 11 appearances in all competitions. His advanced skills for his age have led to him being dubbed “the Scottish Messi” and he has been playing for the Scotland U-21 team since he was just 17-years-old.
Gilmour will be aiming to become a first-team regular
Gilmour has attracted praise for his composure on the ball and drawn comparisons to Toni Kroos and Luka Modric. After getting his first start of the season, Gilmour’s target will now be to go on and become a first-team regular in the side this season.
As a manager, Frank Lampard has never shied away from giving youth regular playing time. It will now be up to Gilmour to prove himself in training and impress the boss.
Gilmour does not face an easy task, especially as the Blues spent £220 million on bolstering their squad last summer. If he does not become a first-team regular by the end of this season, he should seriously consider a loan spell in order to gain more experience at the highest level.
