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Josh McEachran is Chelsea’s forgotten star but he must not give up yet Josh McEachran is Chelsea’s forgotten star but he must not give up yet
(35 minutes later)
“New chapter,” the 21-year-old Chelsea midfielder Josh McEachran tweeted crisply to his 290,000 followers on Monday, the day it was announced he will be spending the season on loan to the Dutch club Vitesse, whose owner, the Russian businessman Aleksandr Chigirinski, is a friend and associate of Roman Abramovich and has allowed his Eredivisie club to become something of a parking lot for players deemed unready for use in west London. But the news could hardly have been timed with a more telling poignancy.“New chapter,” the 21-year-old Chelsea midfielder Josh McEachran tweeted crisply to his 290,000 followers on Monday, the day it was announced he will be spending the season on loan to the Dutch club Vitesse, whose owner, the Russian businessman Aleksandr Chigirinski, is a friend and associate of Roman Abramovich and has allowed his Eredivisie club to become something of a parking lot for players deemed unready for use in west London. But the news could hardly have been timed with a more telling poignancy.
That evening, in front of 20,000 spectators at Turf Moor and the Premier League’s vast worldwide television audience, Cesc Fábregas was making his Premier League debut for the club who own McEachran’s registration. In the 21st minute he sized up a ball from Branislav Ivanovic and shaped his foot to redirect it through the crowded Burnley penalty area into the path of André Schürrle, whose first-time finish gave Chelsea a lead they did not relinquish.That evening, in front of 20,000 spectators at Turf Moor and the Premier League’s vast worldwide television audience, Cesc Fábregas was making his Premier League debut for the club who own McEachran’s registration. In the 21st minute he sized up a ball from Branislav Ivanovic and shaped his foot to redirect it through the crowded Burnley penalty area into the path of André Schürrle, whose first-time finish gave Chelsea a lead they did not relinquish.
With a single devastating touch, the Spaniard had confirmed the wisdom of José Mourinho’s decision to write Barcelona a cheque for around £30m. At 27, after six seasons in the Arsenal first team and three back in Catalunya at the club of his academy years, Fábregas is a player of greater experience and enhanced maturity, his artistry now buttressed by a physical resilience in a way guaranteed to appeal to his new manager at Stamford Bridge.With a single devastating touch, the Spaniard had confirmed the wisdom of José Mourinho’s decision to write Barcelona a cheque for around £30m. At 27, after six seasons in the Arsenal first team and three back in Catalunya at the club of his academy years, Fábregas is a player of greater experience and enhanced maturity, his artistry now buttressed by a physical resilience in a way guaranteed to appeal to his new manager at Stamford Bridge.
For McEachran’s admirers, however, Fábregas’s moment of triumph on Monday night carried a different meaning. That pass might have been his, they were thinking. It could and would have been his, in fact, were the priorities at the top of English football a little less distorted.For McEachran’s admirers, however, Fábregas’s moment of triumph on Monday night carried a different meaning. That pass might have been his, they were thinking. It could and would have been his, in fact, were the priorities at the top of English football a little less distorted.
McEachran was still glowing from his leading role in England’s win in the European Under-17 championship when Carlo Ancelotti brought him on as a substitute in a Champions League match against MSK Zilina of Slovakia in September 2010. At the time it was Chelsea’s policy to push some of their academy graduates into the first-team squad, and Ancelotti had promoted McEachran alongside the 19-year-old French midfielder Gaël Kakuta and two young Dutchmen, the centre-back Jeffrey Bruma, who was also 19, and full-back Patrick van Aanholt, who was 20.McEachran was still glowing from his leading role in England’s win in the European Under-17 championship when Carlo Ancelotti brought him on as a substitute in a Champions League match against MSK Zilina of Slovakia in September 2010. At the time it was Chelsea’s policy to push some of their academy graduates into the first-team squad, and Ancelotti had promoted McEachran alongside the 19-year-old French midfielder Gaël Kakuta and two young Dutchmen, the centre-back Jeffrey Bruma, who was also 19, and full-back Patrick van Aanholt, who was 20.
The object of admiration since his schooldays, McEachran immediately looked at home. Ray Wilkins, Ancelotti’s assistant at the time, made comparisons between the 17-year-old’s left foot and that of the great Liam Brady. The teenager made five more Champions League appearances, including two starts, and 11 Premier League appearances, 10 of them as a substitute, before Ancelotti was sacked at the end of the season.The object of admiration since his schooldays, McEachran immediately looked at home. Ray Wilkins, Ancelotti’s assistant at the time, made comparisons between the 17-year-old’s left foot and that of the great Liam Brady. The teenager made five more Champions League appearances, including two starts, and 11 Premier League appearances, 10 of them as a substitute, before Ancelotti was sacked at the end of the season.
After being voted the club’s young player of the season, and signing a new five-year contract, there were a handful of appearances under Ancelotti’s successor, André Villas-Boas, who spoke highly of his gifts and potential but nevertheless sent him on loan that Christmas to Swansea City, where the arrival of Gylfi Sigurdsson kept him on the bench for half a season.After being voted the club’s young player of the season, and signing a new five-year contract, there were a handful of appearances under Ancelotti’s successor, André Villas-Boas, who spoke highly of his gifts and potential but nevertheless sent him on loan that Christmas to Swansea City, where the arrival of Gylfi Sigurdsson kept him on the bench for half a season.
Opportunities were diminishing, too, in the Chelsea midfield, where Juan Mata had arrived in 2011, joined by Oscar and Eden Hazard a year later. McEachran was dispatched to Middlesbrough, where he made 35 appearances in the Championship under Tony Mowbray, establishing himself in a side that finished in mid-table but not persuading the club who paid his wages to restore him to a midfield in which Schürrle was the latest recruit.Opportunities were diminishing, too, in the Chelsea midfield, where Juan Mata had arrived in 2011, joined by Oscar and Eden Hazard a year later. McEachran was dispatched to Middlesbrough, where he made 35 appearances in the Championship under Tony Mowbray, establishing himself in a side that finished in mid-table but not persuading the club who paid his wages to restore him to a midfield in which Schürrle was the latest recruit.
Last season was divided between Watford, who returned him at Christmas, and Wigan Athletic, for whom he made an unremarkable appearance at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final defeat by Arsenal.Last season was divided between Watford, who returned him at Christmas, and Wigan Athletic, for whom he made an unremarkable appearance at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final defeat by Arsenal.
There was some consolation to be found in his international career, where he graduated to the Under-21s and travelled to the annual 10-nation Toulon tournament with Gareth Southgate’s squad this summer. But his name is no longer on the lips of those speculating on the make-up of Roy Hodgson’s qualifying campaign for the 2016 European Championship, or for the World Cup in Russia two years later.There was some consolation to be found in his international career, where he graduated to the Under-21s and travelled to the annual 10-nation Toulon tournament with Gareth Southgate’s squad this summer. But his name is no longer on the lips of those speculating on the make-up of Roy Hodgson’s qualifying campaign for the 2016 European Championship, or for the World Cup in Russia two years later.
The three young players with whom McEachran shared such high hopes at Stamford Bridge four years ago have endured mixed fortunes. Bruma joined PSV a year ago, after being loaned to Leicester City and Hamburg, and played almost every match in the Eredivisie last season. Van Aanholt was sold to Sunderland this summer after loan periods with Coventry City, Newcastle United, Leicester City, Wigan Athletic and Vitesse. Kakuta is starting this season with Rayo Vallecano, his sixth loan club.The three young players with whom McEachran shared such high hopes at Stamford Bridge four years ago have endured mixed fortunes. Bruma joined PSV a year ago, after being loaned to Leicester City and Hamburg, and played almost every match in the Eredivisie last season. Van Aanholt was sold to Sunderland this summer after loan periods with Coventry City, Newcastle United, Leicester City, Wigan Athletic and Vitesse. Kakuta is starting this season with Rayo Vallecano, his sixth loan club.
But all is not lost for the young Englishman. Hodgson spoke this week of how a spell with a foreign club could make sense for young players unable to force their way into the starting line-up of a top Premier League club. “It wouldn’t hurt them at all,” he said. “If you’re asking me would it be better for some of our players to be playing in good teams abroad rather than warming the bench, then of course I would like to see that.” All is not lost for the young Englishman. Hodgson spoke this week of how a spell with a foreign club could make sense for young players unable to force their way into the starting line-up of a top Premier League club. “It wouldn’t hurt them at all,” he said. “If you’re asking me would it be better for some of our players to be playing in good teams abroad rather than warming the bench, then of course I would like to see that.”
And perhaps McEachran can take comfort from the example of Nemanja Matic, the Serb who joined Chelsea at 21 and was sent to Vitesse for a season before being sold to Benfica. Bought back last January, he is now, at 26, a vital component of Mourinho’s midfield, alongside Fábregas, proving that there can be second acts in the lives of Chelsea’s former prodigies – as long as they are prepared to wait, wait, and wait some more.And perhaps McEachran can take comfort from the example of Nemanja Matic, the Serb who joined Chelsea at 21 and was sent to Vitesse for a season before being sold to Benfica. Bought back last January, he is now, at 26, a vital component of Mourinho’s midfield, alongside Fábregas, proving that there can be second acts in the lives of Chelsea’s former prodigies – as long as they are prepared to wait, wait, and wait some more.