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Chelsea's little big man Billy Gilmour relishing his learning curve

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/mar/04/chelseas-little-big-man-billy-gilmour-relishing-his-learning-curve

The way Billy Gilmour tells the story it was a rite of passage, rather like a little schoolboy being shaken down for his lunch money by the big, bad bully. The Chelsea midfielder still looks like that schoolboy and – for the other role in the scene – please read the Manchester United captain, Harry Maguire, who stands at 6ft 4in and is most surely not a guy to mess with.

It was Gilmour’s third appearance for Chelsea in the Carabao Cup tie against United at Stamford Bridge last October, which ended in a 2-1 defeat, and the 18-year-old Scot, who is 5ft 6in, remembers how things turned ugly.

“He is going to try and bully young ones and that’s where I need to learn in the game – how to be stronger,” Gilmour says. “I’ve been working on that and I can only get stronger. But that was a learning curve, definitely, when he gripped me up in the box. I remember that really well.

“Basically he was saying I’m a wee guy. He was pushing me off, gripping me by the throat, and that’s something I have to deal with. But I won’t let that happen again, that’s for sure. That was a lesson.”

When considering Gilmour, it is difficult not to fixate on his size, particularly as his workplace is the battleground of the top-level English football pitch and his position is in front of the backline. Everybody seems to mentions it, as Frank Lampard admitted.

“I remember when he first came on against Sheffield United [for his debut last August] and people questioned: ‘This kid, he looks like a 15-year-old or something,’” the Chelsea manager says. “I remember, individually, someone saying that to me.”

But with Gilmour, as Lampard adds in the next breath, it does not matter “because if he is small in stature, he is huge in personality and talent”. The former is certainly the buzzword when it comes to Gilmour. Lampard said Gilmour had shown “real personality” on Chelsea’s pre-season trip to Ireland, when he played against Bohemians and St Patrick’s Athletic, and the former Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fàbregas said the same after Gilmour had impressed against Grimsby in the 7-1 Carabao Cup win last September – his second appearance for the club and first start. “Personality is the most important at this age and he’s got it all right,” Fàbregas said.

Gilmour vowed after the Maguire incident that he would not be pushed around and the way he asserted himself in the 2-0 FA Cup win against Liverpool on Tuesday was a major part of his man‑of‑the‑match performance. There was crisp and effective passing from him, lovely skills and awareness of space but, at the same time, grit, which was first in evidence when he crunched into a challenge on Curtis Jones. He knows that he has to earn the right to play his game.

“Most folk would say that because I’m small I won’t do that but I love a good tackle and I’ve done two and come out on top so that’s good,” Gilmour says.

Nor was he afraid to shout instructions to more established teammates. “I’m not here to be a quiet player; I need to tell folk to get into position. I have to communicate – specifically with my position and the way that I play.”

Gilmour has always been a single-minded individual who has football in his blood. His father, Billy Sr, played at the lower levels of the Scottish game in Ayrshire and his younger brother, Harvey, is a prospect in the youth setup at Kilmarnock.

Gilmour swapped Rangers for Chelsea as a 16-year-old in the summer of 2017 and he is not the type to allow fame to go to his head. He modelled for Burberry in September 2017 but he did so with the minimum of fuss. For him it is all about football, putting in extra training and study to improve himself. Fàbregas is an idol and, although he did not train with him at Chelsea, he has pored over footage of him.

“When I first came to Chelsea, we were given IEPs [individual education plans] and you had to focus yourself on a player. Mine was Cesc. I loved how he played. I watched a lot of videos of him and now I’m older I’ve tried to put it into the games and it’s working.”

With Jorginho suspended for three matches and N’Golo Kanté and Mateo Kovacic injured, Gilmour can feel the knock of opportunity and it may also come at international level. Steve Clarke, the Scotland head coach, was at Stamford Bridge for the Liverpool game and he would have liked what he saw. Gilmour has represented Scotland from under‑15 to under-21 level.

“I was speaking to Andy Robertson [the Liverpool defender and Scotland captain] and he told me after the game [that Clarke was there],” Gilmour says. “Who are my Scottish role models? There is the captain and Scott McTominay. Also John McGinn. But, at the same time, I’m trying to get into the squad so I need to push myself.”

With Gilmour, that is a given.

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26 minutes ago, Jason said:

 

Scotland MFers now

he can deffo slot in

    

Graeme Shinnie  
Defensive Midfield
Derby County    £1.35m  
-    
Scott McTominay   
Central Midfield
Manchester United    £25.20m  

John McGinn    <<<< injured
Central Midfield
Aston Villa    £18.00m  
  
Stuart Armstrong    
Central Midfield
Southampton FC    £7.20m  
   
John Fleck   
Central Midfield
Sheffield United    £5.40m  

Ryan Jack    
Central Midfield
Rangers FC    £1.98m  
  
James Forrest    
Right Midfield
Celtic FC    £6.75m  

Lewis Morgan    
Left Midfield
Inter Miami CF    £675k  
  
Ryan Christie    
Attacking Midfield
Celtic FC    £5.40m 

Callum McGregor    
Attacking Midfield
Celtic FC    £4.50m  

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2 hours ago, Mana said:

City wants Gilmour, rumours says. Good luck with that City lol.

Depends on the size of the offer. Large enough and I'd accept City's contribution to our rebuilding fund, go with Jorgi, Kova and other midfield options, while waiting for Lewis Bate to grow into Billy's boots. 

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12 hours ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

Depends on the size of the offer. Large enough and I'd accept City's contribution to our rebuilding fund, go with Jorgi, Kova and other midfield options, while waiting for Lewis Bate to grow into Billy's boots. 

I will give them jorgi and keep Gilmour 

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1 hour ago, Tomo said:

I'm worried about him now, expectations have now become far too high.

Soon as he hits as bad run of form the impatient crew who have systematically blasted Mason and Tammy will make this thread a toxic place quicker than you can say coronovirus.

Incoming the inevitable “Gallagher is better than him”. 

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2 hours ago, Tomo said:

'm worried about him now, expectations have now become far too high.

I'd say unnecessarily high rather than too high, since it's only too high if he does not live up to it. Time will tell but, in the meantime, I do take your point. The attitude Chelsea people should adopt is that Billy's performance was encouraging, but nothing more than that. The press has a vested interest in seeing Billy become a story, our interest is in seeing him become a player. Hype helps the press, but it doesn't help Billy or us. He needs to keep his feet on the ground, and we do too.

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3 hours ago, Tomo said:

I'm worried about him now, expectations have now become far too high.

Soon as he hits as bad run of form the impatient crew who have systematically blasted Mason and Tammy will make this thread a toxic place quicker than you can say coronovirus.

Can you really say bad run of form for a player who had one month honeymoon period and is producing nothing for more than a five months? 

And it's different, not all youngsters are comparable. 

For example, I never said one bad word about Pulisic, CHO or James because they have tremendous potential to be world class players. 

Even when people started dropping names for new goalkeeper I was loyal to Kepa because he's the one in bad run of form. Kepa showed us last season what he's capable of. 

Same goas for RLC. If his performances are not good in the coming months I won’t criticize him because he was out for 10 months with horrible injury and was one of the best players last season.

I'm sorry but I don't see similar potential in Mason. Imo you are one of the best members here and I agree with 95% of the things you say but not regarding Mount. 

Even when people try to defend him they go with things like: he's better than Barkley, great at pressing etc... 

I will celebrate the day when Willian leave this club because of the frustration he caused me with his end product but with Mount here being regular in the future I'll be frustrated even more. 

Also about Abraham... He will never be good enough to be our first striker. I don't need to see more to know that. 

 

 

 

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12 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

Can you really say bad run of form for a player who had one month honeymoon period and is producing nothing for more than a five months? 

And it's different, not all youngsters are comparable. 

For example, I never said one bad word about Pulisic, CHO or James because they have tremendous potential to be world class players. 

Even when people started dropping names for new goalkeeper I was loyal to Kepa because he's the one in bad run of form. Kepa showed us last season what he's capable of. 

Same goas for RLC. If his performances are not good in the coming months I won’t criticize him because he was out for 10 months with horrible injury and was one of the best players last season.

I'm sorry but I don't see similar potential in Mason. Imo you are one of the best members here and I agree with 95% of the things you say but not regarding Mount. 

Even when people try to defend him they go with things like: he's better than Barkley, great at pressing etc... 

I will celebrate the day when Willian leave this club because of the frustration he caused me with his end product but with Mount here being regular in the future I'll be frustrated even more. 

Also about Abraham... He will never be good enough to be our first striker. I don't need to see more to know that. 

 

 

 

Fwiw I wasn't really refering to you more the ones who call him things like Lampard's nephew.

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On 06/03/2020 at 4:10 PM, OhForAGreavsie said:

Depends on the size of the offer. Large enough and I'd accept City's contribution to our rebuilding fund, go with Jorgi, Kova and other midfield options, while waiting for Lewis Bate to grow into Billy's boots. 

Dont see why we would sell anybody to City,  yet alone a 18 year old with who huge potential who could be a key part of the side for 10 years+ once he gets consistent gametime. Not as if they would sell to us either.

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