As the Premier League’s elite continue to get better and better, the gap between the academy and the first team has grown to an almost insurmountable distance.
Clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester City are the most glaring examples as no academy graduate has been able to establish themselves in the starting XI since John Terry and Micah Richards respectively, but Antonio Conte may be changing that this season at Stamford Bridge.
In the opening day defeat to Burnley, the Italian surprised many by selecting 20-year-old Jeremie Boga in the starting lineup. Unfortunately for the Ivorian, he was replaced after only 17 minutes due to Gary Cahill’s red card.
But fortunately for Chelsea fans, another youngster, 21-year old Andreas Christensen, was sent on in Boga’s place before being replaced himself by 20-year old debutant Charly Musonda.
And while the trio on the field was a good sign for Chelsea’s academy and loan system, the bench also featured Kyle Scott, Kenedy and Fikayo Tomori.
Boga was absent from the matchday squad on Sunday at Wembley but Christensen made his first Blues start while Scott, Kenedy, Tomori and Musonda all made the bench. The early season absences of some of Chelsea’s players certainly factors into the youngsters making appearances, but Conte’s willingness to play youth could be a huge boost to the club as a whole.
Fans adore an academy product that makes it to the first team and the Premier League’s elite clubs love it even more due to how difficult it is to make the jump.
The emergence of Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford has been great for English academies and if the league’s top six can return to producing some of their own players, the astronomical fees that now riddle the Premier League would begin to simmer down.
Conte’s decision could also begin to give validity to Chelsea’s loan system as each of the aforementioned players have spent time away from the club, with the exception of Kyle Scott.
The likes of Lewis Baker and Ruben Loftus-Cheek should be feeling some optimism watching their young teammates get an opportunity, for it is very possible that next season it could be them.
The Premier League champions’ first couple of matchday squads have certainly been a little bit of an early season surprise, and while it is unlikely to stay this young all season, the inclusion of academy graduates could speak volumes of Chelsea’s academy and loan system if one of these players can consistently break through.