Billy Gilmour says he would be open to leaving Chelsea on loan in order to get more first-team football under his belt. The 18-year-old made his debut off the bench in August’s 2-2 home draw against Sheffield United and went on to excel in the 7-1 Carabao Cup win over Grimsby.
Having completed the full 90 minutes against the Mariners in September and signed a new contract, sections of the support were hoping to see him on a more regular basis, but Frank Lampard has since kept him on the sidelines.
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With the Blues under a transfer ban, Lampard has made a point of using players who have emerged through the academy, with Fikayo Tomori, Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham and Reece James all making their debuts and featuring in the Champions League.
All four of those players were out on loan in the Championship last term, with Mount and Tomori at Derby, Abraham at Aston Villa and James being part of Wigan’s survival bid.
Gilmour has praised the policy but with his path to regular football blocked, a similar switch could well benefit the youngster. Chelsea are back in Premier League action on Saturday when they host Newcastle before returning to Europe with a trip to Ajax.
Whether Gilmour is involved remains to be seen but he clearly feels he is ready for senior football.
The Glasgow-born starlet believes playing regularly is the key to his development and says he will happily make a temporary move away from Stamford Bridge if it affords him the chance to get more exposure to first-team action.
“I need to play more first-team games, at Chelsea or maybe out on loan,” Gilmour told BBC Scotland. “I need to get more experience. I’m training with the first team a lot and I’ve made a couple of appearances, so I can only get better if I keep going the way I have been.”
