Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BILLY..DO BE A
‘I always dreamed of coming to Premier League – it’s the best’
BILLY GILMOUR has spent his teenage years looking up to people in more ways than one.
The 19-year-old is one of Chelsea’s brightest prospects and admits he has worked extra hard on the technical side of his game to overcome bigger and stronger opponents.
And there is also a wonderfully grounded nature to Gilmour, who has lost none of his wide-eyed enthusiasm about training and working with players he grew up idolising.
Gilmour, who joined Chelsea as a 16-year-old from
Rangers in 2017, said:
“Cesc Fabregas was still there when I did two or three sessions with the first team and that was amazing because all the time growing up I had watched him, Andres
Iniesta and Xavi.
“The first time I was a bit star struck, thinking, ‘This is Cesc Fabregas, Eden
Hazard’. It was a bit surreal. You just sort of go over, say good morning, shake their hand and then after the session, I’d phone my dad… ‘I was training with Cesc Fabregas and Hazard.’ It was like being a kid again!”
Gilmour, who is 5ft 7in, has already been compared to the likes of Xavi and Iniesta by Chelsea fans and it is easy to see why as his passing, ability on the ball and enthusiasm in midfield make him stand out. But he has never let his size get in the way of his progress.
“I’m not going to grow much more and being small it means I have to be technically really good, especially knowing where I am on the pitch and not getting into physical battles,” said Gilmour. “If there’s a tackle there to be won, I will give it my all and I’ve never pulled out of a challenge.
“That goes back to when I was young, I was 12 or 13 playing with 18-year-olds. If you’re good technically and you’re on the ball, they have to get it off you and you have to learn from that. If you do get knocked off the ball you have to learn from it too.”
Gilmour grew up in a football-mad family in Scotland where his mum Carrie supported Rangers. His dad, also Billy, was a Celtic fan and remains his toughest critic. And when Chelsea came
BILLY GILMOUR Apps 9 Starts 5 Minutes 417 Goals 0 Assists 0 Chances created 8 Passes 344 Passes successful 303 Passing accuracy 88.1%
calling, there was no hesitation. “I remember watching the Chelsea-man City
FA Youth Cup and it looked amazing,” said Gilmour.
“You had Phil
Foden, Callum Hudson-odoi and
Reece James – boys who were making names for themselves.
“I always dreamed of coming to the Premier
League, it’s the best league in the world, it was a massive opportunity for me and my family.”
Gilmour was going great guns before lockdown, earning rich praise for a man-of-the-match performance against Everton.
But there have also been downs as his first-team debut ended in a 2-2 draw with Sheffield United while he was substituted at half-time at Leicester in the FA Cup.
However, Frank Lampard’s encouragement coupled with Gilmour’s determination really shine through and he dreams of getting into the Champions League next season and a senior call-up for Scotland. Gilmour added: “I’ve been on the bench for a Champions League game – just hearing that music is a bit crazy – and opportunities will come and I have to make sure I am working hard.
“Scotland have got a really good midfield with Scott Mctominay, John Mcginn and players like that in front of you.
“I’ve got to keep on doing what I’m doing at club level.”