2019/20 was Billy Gilmour’s breakthrough season, gaining great coverage at the heart of Chelsea’s centre midfield, no question the stand out performance was at home FA Cup game against Liverpool.
Billy like many of the top players came into his local clubs pre academy, signing for Glasgow Rangers at 8. He was fast tracked through the academy into the Under 20s by the time he was 15 but Gilmour chose to sign his scholarship with Chelsea. A compensation fee around £500k was paid.
Again though even at Chelsea there was no holding the 16 year old back, he flew through the 18s and 23s, and was in the first team squad by 17, making his debut in pre season a couple of weeks after he turned 18.
Billy has been a Scotland international through the ages from the 15s to the 21s and it won’t be long I am sure until he gets a full cap.
He is a central midfielder, often played deeper, but he can easily play holding, box to box or in the ten role. He is very small but has good strength and balance to counteract that. He is technical gifted, very tight with the football at his feet, he has good intelligence and takes reward from creating chances for his team mates. He plays quickly with as few touches as possible and can change the tempo of the game. He snaps into the tackle and works hard to keep balance in the middle and win the ball back for his team.
Billy’s biggest issue might be fitting in to Chelsea’s midfield going forward, as they have already invested in a new wave of foreign first team players, but surely he has done enough to keep his place in and around the starting XI.