Together with St Mary’s University, Chelsea Foundation offers a Coaching and Development programme which provides students with an innovative learning opportunity to enhance your teaching and coaching practice, as well as developing your business and entrepreneurship skills while gaining an in-depth knowledge and understanding of football coaching and development.

Those now enrolled on that programme recently visited the club’s training facility and it was during their lecture at Cobham that they were interrupted by the surprise appearance of Blues midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek and former Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole.

Loftus-Cheek and Cole took part in a Q&A session where they spoke about their careers before posing for photographs with the students.

Loftus-Cheek, said: ‘It was great to meet the students and answer the questions that they had about my career.

‘I always enjoy taking the time to give back and hopefully the students will take something away from it and I can only wish them luck with the rest of their studies.’

The collaboration between the Foundation and St Mary’s University also recently opened up the opportunity for Chelsea Under-23s to visit the facilities at the university.

Students at St Mary’s were given the chance to observe a Chelsea Under-23 season before networking with Chelsea Academy staff.

Project officer Adrian Salisbury said: ‘The long-standing collaboration between St. Mary’s University and Chelsea Football Club Foundation provides a fantastic basis from which our FdSc and BSc (Hons) programmes in Football Coaching and Development is delivered.

‘It also allows the University to access work placement opportunities within Chelsea Football Club Foundation, as well as lectures delivered across Stamford Bridge and our Cobham Training Ground.

‘At times students are also given opportunities such as this, to network and hear from club personnel which can contribute valuably to their academic and practical development.

‘It also provides a great opportunity for our youth team players to see what the world of University may look like’.

For more information on programmes available through Chelsea Foundation and St Mary’s University, contact [email protected] or [email protected]