Stamford Bridge’s breakthrough boy pays his dues to hero Fabregas

Billy Gilmour says a clash with Harry Maguire was a “lesson” for him and one that helped him learn he had to be stronger to progress at Chelsea.

The 5ft 6in midfielder left a calling card on 6ft 4in Maguire during only his second first-team start in October’s Carabao Cup tie and the United captain responded by grabbing him by the throat.

“I thought it was pointless from him,” said Gilmour after his starring role in Chelsea’s 2-0 FA Cup victory against Liverpool.

“Obviously, he’s going to try to bully the young ones and that’s where I need to learn in the game. I have to be stronger and I’ve been working on that. I can only get stronger, but that was definitely a learning curve, when he got me up in the box. I remember that really well.

“I’m a wee guy and he was pushing me and grabbing me by the throat, and that’s something I have to deal with. But I won’t let that happen again, that’s for sure. It was a lesson.”

There was certainly evidence of lessons learned against Liverpool.

Starting ahead of Jorginho at the base of Chelsea’s midfield three, Gilmour’s aggression and corralling of his team-mates was just as eye-catching as his Cesc Fabregaslike ability to turn out of trouble and pick a pass.

He is likely to get more opportunities in Chelsea’s forthcoming run against Everton, Aston Villa and Bayern Munich.

“I’m not here to just be a player being quiet, I need to tell folk to get into position,” said Gilmour. “It’s the same for people telling me. That’s how I get better and that’s how they get better. Just telling folk to help out.”

There was proof that the Maguire clash had not stunted Gilmour’s willingness to risk the anger of his more senior opponents as he left 26-year-old Fabinho red-faced with a drag-back and turn that prompted the Matthew Harding Stand to chant his name.

“I couldn’t hear it, I was zoned out,” said Gilmour. “My total focus was on the game. You can hear the fans, but you can’t hear what they are singing.”

Fabregas took to Twitter to describe Gilmour’s display as: “Fantastic. Personality on the ball, intelligence in his decision-making, always making angles to offer himself and has that bit of aggression in him.”

Gilmour said: “When I first came to Chelsea, we were given individual action plans and you had to focus yourself on that player. Mine was Cesc.

“I loved how he played. So I just went and watched a lot of videos of him and, now I’m older, I’ve tried to put it into the games and it’s working. He’s a role model of mine.”