Reggie Walsh made his fourth senior look for Chelsea on Wednesday and supervisor Enzo Maresca thinks the midfielder is already particular.
Having had an achieved profession within the place himself, the Italian has plucked this teenager out of Chelsea’s academy – and his GCSE yr in school – to permit him to turn into the membership’s third youngest ever participant.
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Walsh turned 17 on Monday and got here on for Romeo Lavia within the sixty fifth minute in opposition to Ajax on Wednesday, changing into the second youngest Englishman, behind solely former midfielder Jack Wilshere, to play within the Champions League.
Walsh has already damaged a number of data:
He was already Chelsea’s youngest participant to play in Europe when showing at Djurgardens final season within the Convention League, aged 16 years and 193 days.
He additionally grew to become the membership’s third youngest participant, behind solely midfielder Ian Hamilton and goalkeeper Kingsley Whiffen – who made their debuts in 1967.
One week later, he grew to become the youngest participant to start out a European match for Chelsea when going through Djurgardens within the second leg.
And he’s additionally Chelsea’s youngest participant to play within the League Cup, having performed in opposition to Lincoln within the third spherical final month aged 16 years and 338 days.
Such was the shock that Walsh was referred to as up into Chelsea’s first workforce on the finish of final season, his household had not anticipated him making his debut in Sweden.
Happily, they obtained to see him begin one week later.
Walsh, a technical, deep-lying playmaker with engine and nice imaginative and prescient, solely signed his first skilled contract on Monday.
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He counts pundit and former and midfielder Jamie Redknapp as a household pal and can also be an England Beneath-18 worldwide.
Nonetheless, it was stunning when Maresca plucked him from the under-18s – given he had made simply two appearances for the under-21s when making his debut final season.
Maresca beforehand mentioned “he makes every part [look so] straightforward”, including that he was “good” for “his system”, and he confirmed simply that in opposition to 10-man Ajax.
Walsh accomplished 18 of his 19 passes on Wednesday, with 16 of them being in Ajax’s closing third. He additionally gained possession twice by means of two interceptions.
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Briefly, Walsh is the chosen one by Maresca and could possibly be subsequent off the manufacturing line at Cobham.