‘Let youth lead way for clubs’

FRaNk laMPaRD has told christian Pulisic and the rest of chelsea’s bright young things that hard work and performances always trump reputations and ‘back stories’.

USA star Pulisic was a £ 58million January signing who arrived in the summer after being loaned back to Borussia

Dortmund – and was handed the task of helping ease the pain of

Eden Hazard’s exit.

It has been Mason Mount, however, who has assumed the mantle.

And the backing Lampard has given the academy graduate has given rise to accusations from some Pulisic (above) supporters in the USA that the Blues boss is favouring homegrown stars.

Lampard, though, has challenged Pulisic to train harder and follow Callum Hudson-Odoi’s lead, after he responded to similar flak.

Lampard said: “One of my problems in this job is that I have good players and everyone has their story – Christian has a price-tag, Ross Barkley is an international player, so too is Mason Mount.

“Callum Hudson-Odoi has just signed a new contract, Bayern Munich wanted to buy him, he is an i n t ernational player, Ruben Loftus-Cheek will come back and be an international player... and I can’t pick them all in the game, unfortunately.

“All I have to demand of them is that they show me in training or show me in the game, when they get the chances to play, that they are worthy of their place.

“I spoke to Christian two days before the Grimsby game and was very clear about the standards. And we have to give him the fact he has moved country, leagues and is as young as all the young players we are talking about.

“He has just turned

21. So if anyone is getting too excited about this, they should calm down, frankly, because he has already started five games for us.

“What he needs to do is work daily, and work to show within the group that he deserves to play – as all the players do.

“I’ve been really pleased with Callum’s response to criticism and that has to continue.

“We can all focus on Pulisic, but Callum’s the same. I have to speak in the real world when I speak to them.”

RALPH HASENHUTTL reckons modern football is fast becoming a young man’s game. The Southampton boss will field his youthful outfit against Frank Lampard’s equally fresh-faced Chelsea starlets. And while each club may have different reasons for adopting that policy, Hasenhuttl believes it is evidence of a growing trend among the elite towards developing and blooding teenage talent. The Austrian coach said: “It seems to be that way, yes, that players are getting younger. “I had a lot of experience of using younger players when I was at RB Leipzig. I played with 18- and 19-year-old centre backs in the Champions League. “A few years ago, nobody would have taken this risk but, if you can handle them making mistakes, the development at that age is massive. “When I look at Chelsea, or Arsenal in the Europa League it seems the big clubs now realise the importance of producing their own players.” CLEAR Blues boss Lampard DERBY have fined Tom Lawrence and team-mate Mason Bennett six weeks’ wages and ordered them to carry out 80 hours of “community and rehabilitation” work after they were arrested on a drink-drive rap. Lawrence, 25, and Bennett, 23, were charged following a crash on Tuesday, September 24 at the end of a team-bonding day out, and are due in court on October 15. A statement from the Rams said: “Irrespective of the outcome of that process, the club will not tolerate any of its players or staff behaving in a manner which puts themselves, their colleagues and members of the public at risk or which brings the club into disrepute. “Both Lawrence and Bennett are therefore being fined the equivalent of six weeks’ wages — the maximum contractual limit — and will serve 80 hours of community and rehabilitation, which will include a drink aware course.” Lawrence said: “It was a total error of judgement on my part. I am deeply disappointed in my behaviour and upset for my team-mate and our captain, Richard Keogh.”

ADVoCATE Hasenhuttl