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In preparation for tonight’s Premier League trip to Crystal Palace, CHELSEA has summoned up a potential young prospect to first-team training.
Charlie Holland, a 14-year-old sensation, was included by Blues manager Mauricio Pochettino during the team’s most recent practice.
Celebrities with awards like Christopher Nkunku, Raheem Sterling, and Thiago Silva were seen having fun with Holland.
The gifted youngster has previously collaborated with the older team.
Frank Lampard, the former interim manager of the West Londoners, also contacted the academy standout late in the previous campaign.
That came after Holland led Chelsea’s Under-14 team to victory over Fulham in the Albert Phelan Cup South final, winning 5-0.
This time, the young player had his opportunity before the Palace match.
Although academy players are typically invited to train with the first team, the Under-21 and Under-18 teams are typically granted this privilege.
Pochettino is renowned for giving young players at Stamford Bridge opportunity and for investing in their future.
Time on the field has been allotted to Alfie Gilchrist, 20, Mason Burstow, 20, Alex Matos, 19, and Cesare Casadei, 21.
This is hardly surprising given that the Argentine strategist is managing a young, inexperienced team that will require time and patience to gel.
In the past, Pochettino declared: “I’m not selecting the team because they’re young.
“I’d prefer not to be the England coach that chooses the youngest squad.
Our group is young. We’re in a decent equilibrium. There is 39-year-old Thiago Silva, 29-year-old Raheem Sterling, 26-year-old Nkunku, and 25-year-old [Axel] Disasi.
“The fact that they are young is not the issue. The young age of the team is the issue.
“At the start of the season, we had a lot of new players.” You must assemble a group.
“I always talk about the team; it doesn’t matter if your players are 19 or 20 years old. As a team, we must be dependable.
“We might not have the best [balance] right now because we would be in a different position.”