Chelsea wonderkid was a “middling” academy player until his dad changed his life with major decision | OneFootball

Chelsea’s season has had some crazy up and downs, and it could yet end in great disappointment or with great success.

But whatever happens, one of the great positives of the season has been the emergence of more talented from the academy. The Conference League has given a number of players the chance to impress Enzo Maresca, but none have taken advantage of those chances better than Tyrique George.

He’s now played in 10 of our 12 European games, and is 5th in the squad for minutes in that competition. We expect him to start on Thursday in the first leg of our semi final in that competition. He also recently scored his first Premier League goal, a crucial equaliser against Fulham two weeks ago.

George’s rise from “middling player” to top academy talent

Tyrique George playing for the U18 team.

But while it might seem that the winger’s rise was inevitable, it hasn’t always been that clear. Nizaar Kinsella yesterday did a really nice piece for the BBC where he outlined the 19 year old’s rapid rise.

One notable thing about George’s breakthrough is that he made it into the first team squad without a loan. As Kinsella notes, the last player at Chelsea to do that was Callum Hudson-Odoi, a player that George apparently “grew up idolising.”

A source also tells Kinsella that George was a “middling” player in his age group until his dad started paying for a personal coach and a goalkeeper to take his son’s training to the next level. All that extra work paid off, and a few years later he was already considered one of the brightest talents in the academy.

There will be more competition for minutes next season, with Estevao Willian arriving and potentially other new signings coming in too. But George has shown everyone what he can do, and that is the essential first step to success.