Frank Lampard has today discussed comparisons between the talents of Blues starlet Billy Gilmour and Manchester United legend Paul Scholes.
Chelsea prodigy
18-year-old Gilmour has exploded onto the scene at Stamford Bridge this season, with a series of eye-catching displays.
The Scottish midfielder was one of a host of talented young players to have been handed the chance to impress by new Chelsea boss Frank Lampard, on the back of the club’s FIFA-enforced transfer ban.
And to say that Gilmour has since gone on to take full advantage of the opportunity afforded to him would be putting it lightly.
After impressing during limited minutes on the pitch over the early months of the season, the former Rangers youth was installed as a permanent member of the Pensioners’ senior squad this past February.
And Gilmour’s most recent performances, in particular during an FA Cup meeting with Liverpool, have seen fans across England stand up and take notice of what an immense talent the Scot truly is.
The 18-year-old absolutely ran the show versus Jurgen Klopp’s men early last month, controlling the tempo from his deep-lying midfield berth to eventually bag a deserved Man of the Match award.
Incredibly, this was swiftly followed by Gilmour also being named MOTM in Chelsea’s ensuing outing, as Lampard’s men put Everton to the sword by 4 goals to nil on the 8th of March.
⭐️ Man of the Match, @ChelseaFC’s Billy Gilmour
91 touches 🥈
74 completed passes 🥇
37 passes in opposition half 🥇
92.5% passing accuracy
1st PL start, aged 18 years & 271 days pic.twitter.com/dTmXdwec6g— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) March 8, 2020
‘Billy has them’
As such, all associated with Chelsea could be forgiven for feeling as though they may have unearthed a genuine star in the making in the form of Gilmour.
The teen appears to possess all of the necessary qualities to develop into a top-class midfielder, combining touch, poise, an eye for a pass, aggression and, crucially, a football brain far beyond his years.
As a result, as is the case with any youngster who goes on to showcase the kind of talent of a player much his senior, Gilmour has begun to earn comparisons with a host of the game’s stars both past and present.
The likes of Chelsea teammate Jorginho and Barcelona icon Xavi Hernandez have already been thrown into the mix, though a new name was forthcoming today, courtesy of none other than Gilmour’s current boss, Frank Lampard.
Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports, Lampard, one of Chelsea’s all-time midfield greats in his own right, revealed that he sees shades of former English international teammate and Manchester United legend Paul Scholes in Gilmour:
‘Paul Scholes is obviously one of the greatest midfield players I’ve played against in the Premier League.’
‘He would always pick the right pass, he had incredible range. If you did try and jump from midfield and get to him and get close to him he’d just play it around the corner because he knew you were coming. Billy has shown early signs of that kind of ability.’
‘I’m not comparing him to Scholesy, no way at all, but in terms of those basics that you mentioned, then Billy certainly has them and that’s a great platform to build hopefully a fantastic career.’
Quotes via Goal.
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