Head of youth development Neil Bath reflects on the achievements of 2021 and sets out his vision for keeping Chelsea’s Academy top of the class…
There is no doubt that 2021 will go down as a year of great success at Stamford Bridge, with those involved in talent development at Cobham worthy of particular praise after Thomas Tuchel’s side won the Champions League with three Academy graduates on the pitch and another two on the bench.
Elsewhere, our development squad finished second to Manchester City in Premier League 2, the flagship league competition below senior level, while a number of those to have come through our development pathway began to take their first fledgling steps into the professional game.
Neil Bath has headed the Academy programme at Chelsea for the past 18 years alongside Jim Fraser, his trusted assistant who oversees recruitment as well as the younger age groups.
Facing the obstacles of the past year, not least managing a programme comprising hundreds of staff, players and parents amidst the challenges of Covid-19, has been tough but Bath believes 2021 was full of positives and pays tribute to those across the road who have been so open with opportunities.
‘Despite everything that has gone on over the last 12 months, our programme at the Academy and the interactions we have with the coaches across the youth set-up and the men’s first team underline what we are all about,’ he told us recently as we reflected on the year just finished.
‘I will always give credit and be grateful to Frank Lampard for showing tremendous bravery in trusting some of our young players at such a difficult time. The likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi, Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, Reece James and Fikayo Tomori were all given opportunities, which they had earned and then took.
‘Thomas Tuchel then came in and continued the progression of these young lads, allowing them to become established squad members and regulars in the team. He has talked a lot about the importance of the Academy at the club and has backed up those words with actions.’
Some observers have cited the club’s FIFA transfer ban in 2019 as the primary springboard for so many Academy graduates progressing into the senior setup but Bath points out that the only way for players to keep their place in the team is by playing well.
‘During the transition from Frank to Thomas, it was purely merit that kept a number of the Academy players in the squad,’ he added. ‘Thomas picks the strongest line-up in his eyes, and we still have five Academy players on the pitch or in the squad at any given time, which is a tremendous achievement.
‘Of course, some players will move on and that’s just football but this generates income for the club to then invest back into the club. We can only be proud that we are continually developing players deemed good enough to play for our men’s first team and elsewhere around Europe.’
Tammy Abraham at Roma and Fikayo Tomori at AC Milan are two who fit into the latter category, while Billy Gilmour and Conor Gallagher are currently out on loan in the Premier League at Norwich City and Crystal Palace respectively.
Back at the Bridge, six of the 22 outfield players who currently comprise Tuchel’s squad are graduates from the youth development programme honed and overseen by Bath, with numerous staff involved in their journeys from the youngest age groups to the biggest stage.
Most recently, Tuchel has been able to call on the services of Harvey Vale, Xavier Simons, Jude Soonsup-Bell and Lewis Hall, the teenage quartet who have debuted in the domestic cup competitions in the past few weeks, the latter to rave reviews against Chesterfield in the FA Cup on Saturday.
The continual emergence of so many youngsters with not just the technical and tactical attributes needed but the mentality required to step in and stay cool is a testament to the nurturing process at Cobham and ties into Bath’s latest ‘Vision 2030’ initiative, which focuses on the longer-term evolution of the Academy programme.
‘If there are three words or phrases I can use to describe this initiative, they would be progressive, innovative and go again. Within this initiative, there will be exciting projects and programmes going forward at the club which will focus on delivering elite development, revolutionising the way in which prospects are identified.
‘In the next five to 10 years, a clear set of unique objectives will be set per year from a football and education perspective; essentially a performance plan which seeks to ensure we do not rest on our laurels and propels us ahead of the field once again.’
The past two years have taught us to be prepared for all eventualities and Bath pays particular tribute to those who have kept the Academy programme running at Cobham throughout the lockdowns, protocols and ever-changing landscape of the post-pandemic world.
‘With the emergence of Covid-19, life has been challenging,’ he added. ‘The stop-start nature of the year with the different training schedules, the adaptation required across the sites, it can only be achieved with understanding individuals.
‘The parents, staff and players deserve a massive amount of credit for making each other’s lives easier. We hope that we can soon get back to normal but until then we will continue to strive to do the best we can in the situation that we are in.’