Golden Boy now means something for Chelsea but still imperfect

Chelsea has four players nominated for the Golden Boy award. The youth revolution makes it meaningful, but not every player that deserves it was selected.

Chelsea has had player nominated for the Golden Boy, an award given to the best under 21 player in Europe, before. But if a player is nominated for the award and then never plays for their club, does the nomination even really matter?

The youth revolution has changed that at least. Chelsea has had four players nominated, three of whom are at the club. Two of those players could arguably be considered first team players but that would be a new situation for the Blues.

But not every player nominated is clearly one of Europe’s best. And not every player excluded was excluded fairly. Awards like this will always be a bit of a crap shoot but that does not necessarily take away from the prestige. It merely adds an asterisk.

The shortlist of 100 players is made based on the first half of the season and then narrowed down when the next season begins. So Callum Hudson-Odoi’s inclusion, despite his long injury lay off, does make sense. While he may not always pass the eye test, statically he is a monster of a player. If he can refine and polish up his skill set, he could easily make the last 20 man short list next season.

Billy Gilmour, on his current trajectory, also has a very solid chance of his name being in the 20 man short list. Jorginho’s suspension that never ends has given him a boost, but Gilmour has looked magnificent in every appearance this season. If Frank Lampard continues to trust him, he has a good chance.

The other two are nice inclusions but it would be surprising to see either advance to the 20 man short list. Ethan Ampadu, while clearly immensely talented, has had a torrid time at RB Leipzig. Even his inclusion in the 100 man short list is surprising. He can bounce back, but it will be a long hard road.

Faustino Anjorin’s name on the list is largely down to his academy appearances which has traditionally been the case for Chelsea. He has plenty of time later in his career to advance in the award but for now, this is surely as far as he goes.

But the big and confusing exclusion is Reece James. At 20, he was eligible and his performances on the pitch have surely warranted it. Full backs are also getting more recognition than they used to. Despite all of this, James was not included and it is hard to understand why other than a bias towards more attacking players.

But overall, to have players nominated is a good thing for Chelsea. To have them actually involved in the first team is an even better thing. The youth revolution deserves its recognition and while none of these players will win, a nomination is still prestigious. Chelsea players do have a good chance of making the more exclusive 20 man short list later this year and that will only be a good thing for the Blues.