One for the Future: Sebastian Rodriguez Villarea

A star is shining in the Chelsea FC Under 17 in the form of young Mexican striker Sebastian Rodriguez Villarea. Rodriguez is only 14 years old but has been blazing an incredible path through the Chelsea youth setup where he has been playing, and beating, players 2-3 years older than him on a consistent basis. The youngster has scored 36 goals in 37 games for the U17 team and hopefully his Chelsea career is just getting started. In a Spanish interview with Vanguardia, Rodriguez spoke at length about everything from playing for Chelsea to his experience meeting players from the Mexican national team.

When asked how he felt playing in the U17 team, Rodriguez said:

"“When I was told I would have the chance to play with the U17 at first if I was scared, but then I thought that the strength of a player is in the heart and not in the physical, it’s the talent and and desire to want to”"

British laws and Rodriguez’s age have kept Chelsea from offering him a full blown contract so there are other clubs, most notably FC Barcelona, who have offered the youngster a series of tryouts to try and lure him to the Nou Camp. Rodriguez has high hopes for his future he believes that with “a positive attitude and humility [he] will continue to work hard” to achieve his dream of playing football in Europe. Obviously he is far from a finished product and at such a young age it is impossible to tell what will become of the youngster’s career, but if his attitude and his skills continue to improve he will definitely be a player to keep an eye on.

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