How Teenager George Broke Through Chelsea's £1bn Squad

Chelsea academy graduates usually person a mates of well-trodden pathways - breakthrough, loan, first team; aliases breakthrough, loan, sale.

The Blues person sold connected much than 40 graduates successful nan past decade, for astir £400m profit - but their latest high-profile imaginable Tyrique George has homegrown talent Levi Colwill, Trevoh Chalobah and Reece James showing nan measurement to first-team success.

George's onslaught against Fulham connected 20 April, aged 19 years and 75 days, saw him go Chelsea's youngest goalscorer successful nan Premier League since Callum Hudson-Odoi netted against Burnley successful January 2020.

The winger's breakthrough play has included Carabao Cup games against Barrow and Morecambe, substitute convention appearances against Arsenal and Brighton, and almost 600 minutes successful 10 Conference League games, including a extremity successful nan quarter-final first limb triumph astatine Legia Warsaw.

He looks good placed to commencement distant astatine Djurgarden successful nan Conference League semi-final connected Thursday - and could adhd to his increasing reputation.

George, who turned 19 successful February, is disrupting that emblematic 'Chelsea' communicative acknowledgment to a level of dedication different moreover successful this era of academised younker development.

In fact, nan past Chelsea subordinate to travel done nan younker strategy into nan first squad without a indebtedness was Hudson-Odoi, successful January 2018 - a subordinate George grew up idolising.

George was promoted from nan academy squad to nan first squad connected 19 December, six months aft he and defender Josh Acheampong signed caller deals successful June 2024.

That determination to motion a three-year contract, positive an optional 4th year, raised eyebrows among aggregate academy sources astatine Chelsea.

Internal talk was that he mightiness get mislaid among £1bn of talent - including different summertime influx of talented young forwards - signed since nan alteration of ownership successful 2022.

Chelsea caput coach Enzo Maresca gave George a chance successful pre-season and sources opportunity nan Italian's backing helped support him astatine Stamford Bridge.

George was first spotted by Chelsea playing for TFA Totteridge FC successful Whetstone.

He signed up done their improvement centre programme earlier becoming a afloat fledged academy subordinate astatine nan property of 8 - taking a image pinch then-first squad breakthrough stars Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Lewis Baker connected his signing day.

However, a root told BBC Sport that successful those early years, George was a 'middling' subordinate successful his property group until astir nan property of 10.

It was astatine that constituent George's dada hired a goalkeeper arsenic good arsenic a individual coach, David 'Guru' Sobers, to raise his crippled alongside his activity astatine Chelsea.

In midweek, George would train pinch Chelsea and past from nan property of 13 connected Fridays, he would play against men successful nine-a-side matches astatine either Vauxhall aliases Nine Elms Power League successful South London.

On Saturdays, he would train again and spell done post-match study pinch Sobers from his Power League matches nan evening before, earlier going backmost to Chelsea connected Sunday to play.

"I utilized to walk hours travelling connected nationalist carrier to do two-hour sessions, aliases longer, pinch Tyrique arsenic I thought I could thief him," Sobers told BBC Sport.

"We would walk hours doing one-versus-one, method work, shooting drills, and I enjoyed nan truth that he would push himself truthful much. I'd beryllium a 'bad' referee erstwhile he played against 18 twelvemonth olds, truthful he would get kicked - but person to get up and triumph nan shot back.

"We did strategies connected his Friday convention during these matches. I deliberation it helped our young players, we besides had guys now astatine Manchester City, West Ham and Reading, go fearless, particularly erstwhile coming backmost to their ain property group."

George besides trained for respective years pinch Unique FA, an elite academy, but nether nan proviso that he would play pinch players a fewer years older than himself.

Sobers still useful pinch George and added: "Ty became unfazed by thing but it was connected him really relentless he was astatine repetition and doing nan fundamentals.

"He was non-stop and we pushed him but he ever wanted to activity difficult and we didn't unit him, it was each him wanting to beryllium exceptional while staying humble.

"He already showed he had nan mentality by facing men moreover erstwhile mini for his property group. A precocious maturation spurt was nan missing portion of nan puzzle."

During 1 of those South London games, George had a chance gathering pinch existent Chelsea connected indebtedness winger Jadon Sancho, who was connected nan verge of joining Dortmund from Manchester City, successful 2017.

George explained: "It was maine and my dada going to training. We saw Sancho pinch his friends and, pinch Sancho backmost then, I utilized to watch his highlights.

"My dada told maine to get a picture, I was each nervous, but sewage nan picture."

Sancho said earlier successful nan season: "Tyrique George has nan world astatine his feet, apical feline and specified a humble quality being. He deserves each spot of occurrence coming his way."

People adjacent to George mention Sancho, Noni Madueke, Marc Cucurella and Tosin Adarabioyo arsenic cardinal influences complete his early profession astatine Stamford Bridge.

Europe's third-tier title and home cup games helped George build acquisition earlier his Premier League debut successful January.

He has now scored 2 goals, sewage 4 assists and made a full of 21 appearances crossed each competitions this season.

Speaking successful December, George said: "The spot Enzo has successful maine gives maine a awesome feeling. He knows maine from training pinch him each season."

Maresca had studied Chelsea, including nan academy earlier joining, impressing successful his interviews pinch nan nine of his knowledge of players. He will person known George racked up a mixed 33 goals and assists past play while being nominated for extremity of nan play for a onslaught against Crystal Palace.

Those pinch knowledge of George's travel opportunity he has received further encouragement down nan scenes since nan alteration of ownership to nan Boehly-Clearlake authorities - pinch head of recruitment and talent Joe Shields cited arsenic a cardinal advocator behind-the-scenes.

George has besides nary uncertainty benefited from Mykhailo Mudryk's absence - arsenic he remains provisionally suspended - aft allegedly failing a narcotics test.

Fellow academy postgraduate Colwill said of George this month: "We cognize really bully a subordinate he is truthful to travel successful and people hopefully gives him that assurance boost and hopefully he keeps pushing to effort to get into our side.

"He's present because he is an astonishing player, he is not present to beryllium connected nan bench, he is present to play."