Former Chelsea FC prospect Todd Kane has reflected on his disappointing Stamford Bridge career thus far, but he still holds out hope of making it with the Blues.
Todd Kane was once heralded as one of the brightest talents within the Chelsea FC academy. However, in classic Chelsea fashion, he has never been able to break into the senior team. Despite his failure thus far, the defender is still focussed on establishing himself at Stamford Bridge.
Kane has been out on loan with five different clubs since 2012 and thus Blues fans will be forgiven for forgetting what is undoubtedly the highlight of his career so far. Then a 19-year-old, the Englishman was called up to be in the travelling party for Chelsea’s Champions League triumph over Bayern Munich. He was not in the matchday squad, but his involvement was testament to the potential he had displayed to that date.
Reflecting on the experience in an interview with the Mirror, Kane admitted that he believed his time was coming.
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"The celebrations, the open-top bus parade and the way we won it was incredible. I thought I was close to a breakthrough."
Unfortunately, it was not to be and he was shipped off to Preston North End in November of the same year. Loan spells with Blackburn Rovers, Bristol City and Nottingham Forest would follow as the full-back tried to catch the eye of the incumbent Blues boss.
This season, meanwhile, has Kane in the Netherlands with NEC Nijmegen, meaning that close to 15 years after joining the Stamford Bridge set-up, he is yet to make his first-team debut. That’s not getting him down, though, as the defender is hopeful of an opportunity in the near future.
"But I’m hoping I will get a chance under the new manager at Chelsea this summer…Cesar Azpilicueta is a terrific full-back, you can learn so much from him, as I’ve also done from Paulo Ferreira in the past. But maybe there’s a second position up for grabs and I’m hoping to prove I’m ready."
Kane’s attitude is certainly refreshing and he may well find that his labouring has him in with a shot next season. Chelsea are lacking in defence, with Cesar Azpilicueta being the only established full-back of quality. Kenedy has admittedly done well as a makeshift deputy, but Branislav Ivanovic has proven himself to be ineffective at his age while Baba Rahman has not quite lived up to expectations.
Of course, the Blues are set to be in the market for proven world-class talent, but Kane is also carving out a reputation for himself at the moment. He has been a consistent performer for NEC, turning out 27 times in the Eredivisie for them. His displays have reportedly caught the eye of clubs both in the Netherlands and continental Europe in general, meaning that there may be suitors this summer.
The 22-year-old committed to a three-year contract extension last summer, but if Chelsea are not interested in utilising him as a first-team player, they will be open to a transfer should the right offer arrive.
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This currently looks like the most probable outcome at this point in time, but perhaps Kane is better off for it. The club’s problems are well-documented and he will be best served getting regular minutes wherever he can. The boyhood Chelsea fan inside him may be disappointed, but you can’t win every match.