Mourinho Excited By Youth Potential

Mourinho Excited By Youth Potential

Given a relatively easy cup fixture against a non top-flight outfit, Mourinho decided to give his crucial first-team players a day off and instead drafted in squad players, and gave a few youngsters a run in the senior side. One of the youth players who were given the opportunity was Under-21 midfielder Lewis Baker.

He previously made it into the first-team back in September, however he was an unused substitute in Chelsea’s win over Swindon in the Capital One Cup. He was again on the bench this time around, though he got his chance to shine in the last 4 minutes against Derby County. As Get West London report, Mourinho was impressed with what he saw of Baker, and has encouraged other Under-21 players to try breaking into the senior squad.

He said, “No injuries, clean sheet, some good pieces of good football, a little feeling of top flight football for Lewis Baker, so a good day. He’s a good boy, still very young, still playing in the U21s but being younger than that.”

“We think he will be a good midfield player. He is doing well. He’s working in the U21s, now he comes into the first team to train to get to a different level, so good good, and a good message for him and for the other U21s training with the first team.”

It is refreshing to see a team like Chelsea – who have always bought first-team players from outside the club – to be nurturing young talents and giving them the opportunity to make it big at Chelsea itself.