Chelsea’s academy is well known for producing world-class talents such as Reece James, Marc Guehi, Jamal Musiala, Levi Colwill and many more. And in recent years, it has been good to see that there is a pathway into the senior team, despite the number of players that have been signed since the change in ownership.
Meanwhile, the Cobham training centre currently possesses a number of young, talented individuals. This includes Shim Mheuka, Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, among others, who could go on to represent the Blues in the future.
Now, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has picked out one player he particularly likes among the academy youngsters. And it is neither Mheuka nor Kavuma-McQueen, despite the headlines those two have grabbed in recent weeks.
The manager has picked Reggie Walsh instead and explained the reason as well. According to The Standard, Maresca said the following regarding his favourite Chelsea youth player:
"I like all the academy guys but Reggie is the one I like more than the rest.
“I like Reggie because he is doing things that I’m demanding to the other players, but he is doing those things without me asking him to do that.
“I don’t need to ask him to do something. What he’s doing is already what I want from that player."
Enzo Maresca publicly reveals Reggie Walsh as his favourite Chelsea youth player
Interestingly, 16-year-old Walsh has already made his debut for Chelsea’s senior team in a matchup against Djurgarden in the Conference League semifinal. He became the third-youngest player ever to step onto the field in the Royal Blue jersey.
Walsh’s primary position is central midfield, but he can also operate in the defensive midfield area. While Chelsea already have top players to cover those positions, it wouldn’t be surprising if Maresca calls up the youngster this season as well for a few cup games.
Fans will really hope that the English youngster can succeed at Stamford Bridge. And if Walsh can maintain his progress and momentum, there’s no reason why that can’t happen.
Anyway, while Walsh sharpens his skillset in the academy, there are other matters Maresca’s squad must focus on. They recently played out a 2-2 draw against Brentford and dropped two crucial points.
Although it’s true that the squad wasn’t at full strength due to fatigue from the international break and injuries, these types of performances aren’t what fans want to see from the team. Chelsea will need to fix things quickly, with their next matchup against Bayern Munich, as the Blues look to start their journey in this season’s Champions League with a win.