Chelsea starlet Billy Gilmour has penned a new deal at the Stamford Bridge which will keep him at the club till June 30, 2023. “It is really exciting for me and my family to sign this four-year deal with the club,” he told Chelsea’s official website. Gilmour added praise for manager Frank Lampard, adding: “Frank has come in and everyone is buzzing, training is really good and there is a high standard to everything we do.

“There are exciting times ahead and hopefully I can work hard to get more opportunities as well.”

“When I first signed, I was having a meeting with Jody Morris [then Under-18s manager] in the Academy and Frank actually interrupted to speak to Jody,” Gilmour explained.

“I think he was agreeing to meet him later that day for dinner.”

“It was surreal when Jody asked him to come in and speak to me – I was a bit starstruck just sitting there and seeing Frank Lampard walk in the room and start talking to me!”

“I was one of the younger players in the team last season but this year I want to make sure I am one of the senior figures in the dressing room, make sure my standards are high and I am pushing the team in the right way,” he added on his involvement with our development squad.

“We have got a good enough team and we have started really well so I do not see why we can’t push on and challenge for the league. Individually, I want to make sure I am involved with the senior team as much as I can be and try to push for more appearances.”

Chelsea boss, Frank Lampard clearly likes what he sees in the midfielder after showering him with praise over the summer.

“He is a young lad, the personality he has shown on this trip [pre-season tour to Ireland] to play two games at the level he has played them have been great.”

“I just hope Billy just keeps pushing on with that now this season. It is important that the younger players have a target to prove in pre-season that they are good enough for a place in the team or the squad.”

Chelsea have been hit with a transfer ban by FIFA for violating rules in the signing of youth players. Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori have all stepped up on the occasion and are bringing positive results at the Stamford Bridge. The performances of the youngsters should make the Chelsea fans feel proud as it’s not regular these days that youth academy players are paving their way through to the first team.

Callum Hudson-Odoi has recently signed a 5-year deal which will keep him at the club till June 30, 2024. Reece James is also working on his way back from his injury and Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s rehab completion would mean a lot of homegrown players in the Chelsea shirt. This is surely something which the fans have been dreaming for ages and now is an actual reality.