Chelsea star Billy Gilmour is in fantastic form at the moment and was given his Premier League debut by boss Frank Lampard as the Blues went on to beat Everton 4-0 at Stamford Bridge. The 18-year-old replaced a suspended Jorginho in the Blues’ starting line up to face the Toffees, with the Italian also banned for the club’s next game against Aston Villa.
However, Gilmour believes he has to offer Lampard something different in midfield if he is to hold onto a place in the first-team going forward.
“When I go out there I need to show that I am not just passing to each other,” he said.
“I need to be there and do something different in the team to keep my position in the team.”
Gilmour admitted he is still finding the whole thing a bit “surreal” as he picked up his second man-of-the-match award in as many games, after helping Chelsea beat Liverpool in the fifth round of the FA Cup last Tuesday.
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“It’s a bit surreal still,” he said.
“Coming on playing with top players, but this is something that I have been dreaming of.”
The youngster believes that keeping his confidence high has enabled him to put in great performances on the pitch and he credited Antonio Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta for helping him in training and during the matches.
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“The boys in the team have been brilliant with me, Antonio has been brilliant with me always talking, Azpilicueta is always taking and giving me real confidence going into training and into games,” he added.
“That is something you need as a young player, is that confidence.
“If you don’t have that confidence you are not going to play well, you are going to be a bit under pressure and a bit naive.
“But I love it and the first-team boys are doing really well for the youngsters.”
Since Lampard has taken over as manager he has given several youngsters the chance to stake a claim for a place in the starting XI.
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And after the win over Everton, the 41-year-old praised Gilmour for having the same qualities that make Jorginho so effective as a midfielder.
“Billy is receiving the ball in difficult areas on the pitch where if you don’t move it quickly you don’t get the rhythm of our play,” Lampard said.
“And secondly if you give it away there it is dangerous, so you need confidence to do that, and Jorginho has it and Billy has it.
“One of the most pleasing things is that Billy showed that in the first half and then when he stepped up and played as one of the higher midfield players later in the game.
“He instantly took it on board, arriving in their box and playing balls higher up the pitch and he showed he can do both [positions] which is a great thing for me when I am thinking about how the midfield looks at times.”
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