'His future at Chelsea is gigantic': Pat Nevin makes claim about 20-year-old Blues prospect
Pat Nevin used Mason Mount and Phil Foden as examples of how Billy Gilmour could have approached his loan move, speaking to the Chelsea Chronicle.
Gilmour signed for Norwich City on a season-long deal, as he searches for greater first-team opportunities.
The 20-year-old rarely got a sniff in the previous campaign, scraping together just five Premier League appearances.
He is set to receive much more first division action with the Canaries, who are aiming to stay afloat for longer than one term this time.
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Chelsea’s Scotland international will add a certain quality and control into their midfield.
It will also be a great experience for the youngster, getting him up to speed with the demands of regular senior football.
Nevin weights up the options
But the big debate surrounding his transfer was whether it was the right decision.
Graeme Souness believed Gilmour should have stayed and fought for his place at Stamford Bridge.
Nevin took a more pragmatic approach and weighed up both sides of the discussion.
“Billy obviously going out on loan, he’ll get a lot more football,” said the Blues legend.
“His future at Chelsea is gigantic. To be honest, there is no right or wrong.
“There are two different arguments. There’s the Phil Foden argument i.e. you stay put and you’ll learn off great players around you.
“The other argument is the Mason Mount argument; I’ll go out on loan and learn your trade when you’re out there.
“There’s no right or wrong, there are just two different methods. It may come down to what the player wants.
“If it were me, in the time, I would have gone out on loan personally. You just want to play football.”
Foden or Mount
Of course, Foden is the prime example of a young player reaping all the rewards of not going out on loan.
He remained at Manchester City during a period where he wasn’t getting many minutes; he is currently the reigning Young Premier League Player of the Year.
Mount on the other hand cut his teeth elsewhere before becoming a Chelsea icon.
Loans at Vitesse Arnhem and Derby County aided his development, whilst also maturing him as a person.
If Gilmour can emulate either of their successes, he is certainly on the right track for greatness.
