Billy Gilmour

[Vesper 28,802]

Nothing has fazed Gilmour so far – a senior Scotland bow would be no different

https://theathletic.com/1666711/2020/03/11/billy-gilmour-scotland/

How can a Chelsea player who controlled the midfield against Liverpool and Everton last week not make it into the national squad of a country that has not qualified for a major tournament since 1998?

That is the stripped-back question being asked since Scotland Under-21 manager Scot Gemmill confirmed Billy Gilmour would be in his squad to face Croatia and Greece rather than in the senior squad for the Euro 2020 play-off semi-final against Israel.

It is asked in such a direct, almost perplexed fashion, because there is an assumption that a Scottish player thriving at the elite level, even if only for two games, must automatically be included regardless of the competition. It is a case of working backwards to find someone to drop rather than who is best suited for a momentous occasion.

It is a condition engendered by a fanbase desperate for an otherworldly figure to inspire them, akin to Gareth Bale in Wales. The 18-year-old is not that type of player and never will be. His game is about subtlety.

Nonetheless, despite these flippant calls for Gilmour to be thrown into a game of such magnitude, he should have at least been named in the squad because he has a skillset that no other midfielder in the squad possesses.

If Gilmour was a centre-back or a striker he would undoubtedly be included due to the dearth of options in those positions, but he is unlucky that central midfield is the one area where Scotland are strong. Steve Clarke has Scott McTominay, Ryan Jack, John Fleck, Kenny McLean, Callum McGregor, John McGinn, Tom Cairney, Stuart Armstrong and Ryan Christie all competing for a place.

It was decided that it would be better for his development to play with the under-21s, where he is guaranteed minutes, rather than being called up only to not feature, as revealed in David Ornstein’s Monday column. Gemmill was clear that Gilmour could well be called up depending on injuries though, as McGinn only resumed training with Aston Villa last week after suffering a fractured ankle in December, while Jack is managing his troublesome knee and has missed several games since the winter break.

“He’s done excellently for all of the national age groups and moving forward I’m very confident that he will get to play for the full squad,” said Gemmill. “I met Steve Clarke and, right now, he’s happy for him to be selected for the under-21s. But, as is the case for all the players, that can change. The last time we played, Steve called and took Ryan Porteous.

“We’re talking about the national team here, it should be hard to play for your country. Everyone involved in it should be happy that is the case. He can only pick a certain number of players and has to have a balanced squad, as do we. Historically, there was a much bigger gap between under-21 football and the full squad but in recent times that gap has closed. All of a sudden you are seeing not just for Scotland but other associations where players are going quickly into the senior squad. It’s really exciting for all of our young players to know how close they are to it.

“We’ve all got a responsibility to help Billy maximise his potential. His recent performances have gone a huge way to confirming his talent that we’ve all spoken about. We’ve all got an opinion on young players and who is going to get to what level but until they get the opportunity it’s just talk. Billy has stepped up after being given the opportunity at a fantastic level at a fantastic club and his manager (Frank Lampard) has been unbelievable for him.

“Billy has shown he has the emotional intelligence to keep his feet on the ground. I’ve praised him for how good he is off the pitch as he is on it but this is a new test for him and he has to continue to push.”

It is worth comparing how other nations have managed the progression of similar young talents. Wales and Chelsea midfielder Ethan Ampadu, who is on loan at RB Leipzig, made his full international debut as a 17-year-old against France in November 2017, but Chris Coleman had already introduced him to the group in May when he included him in a training camp despite making just 13 appearances for Exeter in League Two.

Ben Woodburn was given his debut in September 2017 by Coleman when he too was 17 and had played just nine times for Liverpool. Theo Walcott had never played in the Premier League when Sven-Goran Eriksson saw fit to take the 17 year-old winger to the 2006 World Cup just months after Arsenal had signed him from Southampton after just 13 senior appearances. Wayne Rooney, whose rapid rise Gemmill witnessed up close as Everton, became the youngest England player at the age of 17 after he had made 26 appearances for Everton in the 2002-03 season.

But, in trying to strike the balance between pushing the player on to the next level and holding them back in case they are damaged by the step up, do Scotland err too often on the side of caution? John Fleck had to wait until November 2018 for a call-up, by which time he was 27, when there was a groundswell of support for his inclusion in 2009 when he burst on to the scene at Rangers. It was decided it was too much too soon.

Gilmour is already the third most experienced player in the under-21 squad with 12 caps, just four behind captain Ross McCrorie and one behind Fraser Hornby. He may only have made seven appearances for Chelsea’s senior team in all competitions, playing a combined total of 370 minutes, but he has shown unique traits which would help Scotland in a game where they will have the majority share of possession.

Unlike Rooney, he has not physically matured yet despite improving his athleticism in the two years he has spent at Chelsea since his move from Rangers, and perhaps that goes against him as he can visually still look like a boy in a man’s game. But that is only until the ball comes to him.

He was recently moved into the first-team dressing room permanently by Frank Lampard who said he “ran the game” against Grimsby in the Carabao Cup this season, while Rangers head of youth Craig Mulholland praised the mix of arrogance and humility he possesses. Lampard said he is the type of No 6 who has the “balls” to receive the ball in difficult positions and be positive.

For all the depth Scotland have in midfield, a lot of the players share very similar attributes. Only McTominay, Jack and McLean could be viewed as candidates for the deepest role but all three prefer to play further forward and none scan the pitch or can produce incisive forward passes as well as Gilmour can.

Jack, McGinn and McGregor was the preferred trio in the last two games, both wins against Cyprus and Kazakhstan, but the first two names are doubts. McTominay is in good form for Manchester United since returning from injury but his best work has come since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer moved him forward away from a playmaker role.

Nothing has fazed Gilmour from the first time he stepped up to train with the Rangers first team, to moving down to London, to playing against men a foot taller than him, to captaining Scotland Under-21s at the age of 16. Giving him the responsibility to dictate play at Hampden on his debut probably wouldn’t either.

His talent allows him to move up the ladder seamlessly. While some players can look accomplished but then struggle under the pressure of a faster game, Gilmour is the rare breed who looks the exact same no matter the level or opposition. Clarke’s decision not to include him is not as mystifying as many believe but if it is only a matter of time until he is promoted then that experience alone would have been valuable.

[chippy 342]

18 hours ago, Fulham Broadway said:

 

Classic British movie!

[Jase 43,479]

 

[!Hazard! 3,394]

I think this sudden break from football due to coronavirus is good thing for Billy. The hype was starting to get out of hand, I mean people were starting to compare him to Iniesta after two games for goodness sake.

Now we know he can play, the manager trusts him and so do the fans and his teammates, and yet the hype has gone quiet due to obvious reasons and most people outside of Chelsea have already forgotten about him, which is a good thing. He gets to improve and train in peace rather than under insane pressure from (social) media.

Looking forward to seeing him play once football resumes, whenever that might be.

[Tomo 21,733]

On 26/03/2020 at 10:20 AM, !Hazard! said:

I think this sudden break from football due to coronavirus is good thing for Billy. The hype was starting to get out of hand, I mean people were starting to compare him to Iniesta after two games for goodness sake.

Now we know he can play, the manager trusts him and so do the fans and his teammates, and yet the hype has gone quiet due to obvious reasons and most people outside of Chelsea have already forgotten about him, which is a good thing. He gets to improve and train in peace rather than under insane pressure from (social) media.

Looking forward to seeing him play once football resumes, whenever that might be.

Idk I personally think the halt came at the worst possible time for us. Billy's emergence and the performances against Liverpool and Everton gave us some serious momentum and I felt we were lining ourselves up for a really strong finish, to add further alongside Billy's emergence Mason and Kepa were returning to form, Barkley and Oli were hitting a hot streak while Willy and Pedro were well and truly geared up and motivated for a last horrah. The Villa game was genuinely the most confident I felt for a comfortable win since during Conte's title season. Had we carried on from there then Frank would have had no choice but to leave Kante on the bench when he returned, now he's probably back to first name on the teamsheet when the league kicks off again. Also the odds of Ross and the experienced front three all being on the same rich vein of form they were in is next to none.

When the season restarts all that strong momentum we were building and picking up ahead of steam will be well and truly lost.

[Jase 43,479]

1 hour ago, Tomo said:

Idk I personally think the halt came at the worst possible time for us. Billy's emergence and the performances against Liverpool and Everton gave us some serious momentum and I felt we were lining ourselves up for a really strong finish, to add further alongside Billy's emergence Mason and Kepa were returning to form, Barkley and Oli were hitting a hot streak while Willy and Pedro were well and truly geared up and motivated for a last horrah. The Villa game was genuinely the most confident I felt for a comfortable win since during Conte's title season. Had we carried on from there then Frank would have had no choice but to leave Kante on the bench when he returned, now he's probably back to first name on the teamsheet when the league kicks off again. Also the odds of Ross and the experienced front three all being on the same rich vein of form they were in is next to none.

When the season restarts all that strong momentum we were building and picking up ahead of steam will be well and truly lost.

Nothing was going to stop Lampard putting Kante back in. I mean, we were doing well without him earlier in the season, for example, but every time when Kante was available, Lampard threw him straight into the XI. 

[Tomo 21,733]

16 minutes ago, Jason said:

Nothing was going to stop Lampard putting Kante back in. I mean, we were doing well without him earlier in the season, for example, but every time when Kante was available, Lampard threw him straight into the XI. 

I was going to give him the benefit of the doubt he would have learned his lesson

 

[Vesper 28,802]

13 hours ago, Jason said:

Nothing was going to stop Lampard putting Kante back in. 

[Vesper 28,802]

Chelsea star Billy Gilmour models his game on three players including former Arsenal midfielder

The 18-year-old Chelsea star on why he has modelled his game on one of the club's most cultured former stars.

https://www.football.london/premier-league/chelsea-billy-gilmour-cesc-fabregas-18150314

Chelsea youngster Billy Gilmour says he models his game on former Blues midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

The 18-year-old, who grew up watching the Monaco star at his very peak, continues to develop as one of the club's most promising talents.

And Gilmour has revealed that he has modelled his game on his former teammate, who he was able to witness up close on the Cobham training pitch during the back end of last season.

"We had to analyse our own game and compare it to a player so I thought I'd chose Fabregas," Gilmour told BT Sport.

"Growing up it was Iniesta, Xavi and Fabregas, they were the players I base my game around."

Fabregas' career took off across the City as an Arsenal player, but at Chelsea, he won the Premier League twice and pulled on the shirt nearly 200 times.

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[MoroccanBlue 5,297]

He's more Xavi than anyone really. Dictates tempo and transition. 

[Vesper 28,802]

1 hour ago, MoroccanBlue said:

He's more Xavi than anyone really. Dictates tempo and transition. 

you read my mind

and if he ends up HALF the player Xavi was, he wave a bloody diamond on our hands. Xavis is a top ten all-time CMF'er in my book. Bloody genius (and I hate Barca, almost as much as I hate Real!, lol)

[killer1257 3,282]

you read my mind
and if he ends up HALF the player Xavi was, he wave a bloody diamond on our hands. Xavis is a top ten all-time CMF'er in my book. Bloody genius (and I hate Barca, almost as much as I hate Real!, lol)

Xavi for me is the best CM that I have seen with my own eyes. His football IQ was something else.I miss Xavi and Iniesta.

Billy is a mixture between Iniesta and Xavi.
He is quite a good dribbler and much faster than Xavi. Obviously, Billys dribbling skills are nowhere near Iniesta level.
But Billy is more complete than Xavi when it comes to attributes. Doesn't mean he will be even half as good than Xavi. Billy is still very raw

Gesendet von meinem SM-G920F mit Tapatalk

[Jase 43,479]

 

[!Hazard! 3,394]

On 4/26/2020 at 0:51 PM, killer1257 said:

Xavi for me is the best CM that I have seen with my own eyes. His football IQ was something else.I miss Xavi and Iniesta.

Billy is a mixture between Iniesta and Xavi.
He is quite a good dribbler and much faster than Xavi. Obviously, Billys dribbling skills are nowhere near Iniesta level.
But Billy is more complete than Xavi when it comes to attributes. Doesn't mean he will be even half as good than Xavi. Billy is still very raw

Gesendet von meinem SM-G920F mit Tapatalk
 

I've been watching these videos for the past few days. Man what a player he was indeed. And these just show the skills and tricks and not how he completely controlled every single game 

[MoroccanBlue 5,297]

Everton was a game that shows the damage he can do when you openly give him space. 
 

His performance against Liverpool is much more impressive. Left Fabinho packing. 

[Jase 43,479]

 

[Vesper 28,802]

BILLY GILMOUR: FIRST, LAST AND ALWAYS

https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2020/05/02/billy-gilmour-on-childhood-chelsea-kits--scottish-sitcoms-and-re?cardIndex=0-0

In our feature where we ask players to make selections based on their past, their recent choices and what crops up time and time again, Billy Gilmour tells us about getting his first Chelsea kit and the Scottish sitcom he recommends everybody watches...

First: What was the first football kit you ever wore?

It was a Chelsea strip when I was about five. I was a fan then because they had so many great players and were winning trophies.

Last: When was the last time you wore a football shirt of a team you weren’t playing for?

It was probably Andy Robertson’s Liverpool shirt when I swapped with him after the recent FA Cup game. I wear that sometimes at the moment, just out in the garden playing football.

Always: What is the best old football shirt you have kept?

I’ve always kept shirts and training gear from every season, from Boys Club to Rangers and now Chelsea. My mum keeps them safe in boxes in the loft at home.

Read - Gilmour exclusive: 'I was raging after my debut!'

First: What was the first movie you really liked growing up?

Grown Ups or Step Brothers.

Last: What was the last film or TV programme you watched?

I’ve been watching a lot at the moment – Power, Prison Break. The last one I actually watched was Peaky Blinders and the latest series has just come on Netflix so I’ll have to watch that.

Always: What have you watched most often in your life?

It’s probably Still Game, which is a Scottish comedy. It’s just a couple of old Scottish guys who are really funny. It’s on Netflix now but I’m not sure people will understand it!

 

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[Vesper 28,802]

Why Chelsea teen Billy Gilmour wears a Liverpool shirt while playing football in the garden

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/why-chelsea-teen-billy-gilmour-wears-a-liverpool-shirt-in-the-garden-a4430146.html

It's a rare sight football fans never want to see: one of their own wearing a rival club's shirt.

Well, Chelsea fans - look away. Breakthrough star Billy Gilmour has revealed he is currently opting for a Liverpool shirt when practising in the garden.

speaking to Chelsea's official website, Gilmour was asked when he last wore the shirt of a team he wasn't playing for.

Gilmour responded: "It was probably Andy Robertson’s Liverpool shirt when I swapped with him after the recent FA Cup game. I wear that sometimes at the moment, just out in the garden playing football."

The 18-year-old - who despite his slight frame and minimal experience - has emerged as one of the club's more exciting prospects this season.

And with his performance against Liverpool a real defining moment for the youngster, this harmless act may just be excused.

A dominant 2-0 win put Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, while Gilmour was named man of the match after an eyebrow-raising performance which earned him significant praise from a number of figures within the game.

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