Billy Gilmour this weekend started his first Premier League game since Thomas Tuchel took over the Chelsea hot-seat from Frank Lampard in January.

The teenager once again looked fairly impressive as his team strolled to a 2-0 victory over fellow London side Fulham (BBC Match Report).

Gilmour received the ball 68 times during his 90 minute appearance, making fifty passes and enjoying an 85% passing success rate. The central midfielder also won two tackles (Stats from Whoscored).

The nineteen year old’s performance was praised by his manager Thomas Tuchel:

‘Very, very good. He’s a confident guy, he’s well aware of his qualities, which is good.’

‘It was not necessary for him to convince me today because I’m already convinced, otherwise I would not have picked him for the line-up.’

‘So it was necessary that he plays his part, that he helps the team, and this is what he did. I’m happy for him.’

Via The Metro

With The Blues aiming to win two major trophies and finish in the league’s top four, that will mean plenty of games coming in thick and fast. T

hey’re in the final of the FA Cup, in the semis of the Champions League and still have four big Premier League fixtures to play.

That should give young Billy the opportunity to see himself gaining more first team minutes under his belt before the season ends.

That could present Scotland boss Steve Clarke with the idea of taking the young midfield maestro to this summer’s European Championships.

While Scotland do have good midfield competition within their squad, it could be hard to ignore Gilmour if he shines at Stamford Bridge between now and the end of the club campaign.

With Ryan Jack being ruled out of this summer’s tournament and the squad size increasing to 26 (Source BBC Sport), there could be that opportunity for Billy Gilmour to get himself into the mix.

Farnese’s Ryan Gauld and Celtic’s David Turnbull will also be eyeing a last ditch chance to get selected for the Euro squad.

It’s not a bad headache to have for Clarke, who prefers to stay loyal to those that have served him well in the past. The good thing about selecting any of Gilmour, Gauld or Turnbull is the fact that they’ll no doubt be pushing for World Cup qualifying selection once the Euros are over, so that should ease any worries the Scotland manager might have in taking one of the rookies as it’ll provide invaluable experience.

In the long run, Billy Gilmour is the great hope for Scotland. He’s a player that looks the most comfortable in possession and that could be vital if our side doesn’t have midfield general in there like Ryan Jack.

It will be interesting to see who Steve Clarke picks in June. For Billy Gilmour his best chance of getting there will rely on him getting more first team football with Chelsea before the season ends. If he can produce big moments in those big games, then that could give him an edge over rivals!

Posted on May 2nd, 2021 by scott
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