The 4 players named as most influential in development of latest Cobham talent | OneFootball

Fans are always desperate to see academy players break through into the first team, and it’s always a special moment when you see it happen.

Josh Acheampong is the latest Blue to make that breakthrough, and today he’s been speaking to the club’s official website about what it was like to finally make that step up.

He picked out 4 players in particular who had helped him with that transition:

“Reece James, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marcus Bettinelli, and Levi Colwill – they’re all really encouraging and help out a lot,” the defender said. He also had a lot positive words to say about his manager Enzo Maresca:

“I really like Enzo. The detail he goes into on the pitch is fantastic, but off the pitch, he’s really nice and encouraging. He wants me to show my personality on and off the pitch. He tells me to be confident whether that’s at lunch, sitting with the players, or on the pitch, being brave and showing what I can do.”

It’s interesting to hear about that side of things. We’ve heard Maresca’s feedback on the leadership skills of Reece James and others, and clearly this sort of stuff is something he puts a lot of stock in.

Acheampong already looking a confident figure

Josh Acheampong interviewed by Chelsea TV after his debut.

It doesn’t seem like Maresca needs to worry too much about Acheampong’s personality – he seems very relaxed, and didn’t even stress about making his Premier League debut:

“I was told I was starting the night before. I slept fine – one thing about me is I always sleep, no matter what happens!

“I was really excited but treated it like another game. I felt ready, and I was happy with my performance. Unfortunately, we couldn’t come away with the win, but overall, it was a great experience. My mum and dad were there which made it even more special.”

Here’s to many more chances to come for Josh.