On a night when Chelsea booked their spot in the Conference League final, Blues youngster Reggie Walsh made a memorable first start at senior level.
Chelsea beat Djurgarden 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in the second leg of their Conference League semi-final tie. Therefore, they progress to the final with a 5-1 aggregate scoreline over the Swedish club.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored the winning goal on the night with his fourth goal in this season’s European competition.
It was a proud evening for the Blues academy because so many young prospects were involved in the first team, including Reggie Walsh.
At the age of 16, Walsh started and played the entire match in an advanced midfield position that we usually see Enzo Fernandez playing.
Chelsea fans compared Reggie Walsh to Billy Gilmour after his composed performance in a European semi-final.
| Minutes played | Total shots | Chances created | Accurate passes | Touches | Duels won | Duels lost | Match rating |
| 90 | 1 | 1 | 40/44 (91%) | 54 | 4 | 6 | 6.4 |
Joe Cole hails Reggie Walsh after first Chelsea start
Joe Cole, the former Chelsea attacker, was left in awe of Walsh’s composure during his maiden start at first-team level.
He gave the 16-year-old the “biggest compliment” that he looked at ease on the football pitch.
Cole told TNT Sports 3 (8:52pm, 8 May): “He’s been very comfortable. He’s looked at ease. He’s got on the ball. He’s received the ball. He’s been the most fouled player on the pitch. He receives the ball well. The biggest compliment you can pay a young player when they’re making their debut is they look at ease, and he has done.”
Speaking last week, Nicolas Jackson tipped Reggie Walsh for a big future after he made his first Chelsea appearance.
Following an impressive display on Thursday night, we expect plenty more praise to be directed his way.
Jason Cundy reacts to Reggie Walsh performance
Jason Cundy, the former Chelsea defender, was equally impressed by what he saw from Walsh against Djurgarden.
Cundy said via Chelsea’s official app (9:15pm, 8 May): “He’s been excellent Reggie. He’s been a joy to watch. It’s like a ball boy has come on the pitch.”
He later added (9:25pm): “Walsh has been excellent. Honestly, he has.”
Hopefully, this is the start of a long and successful career for Walsh in Chelsea colours. Everyone is going to be closely following his progress after a special week for him.
It’s a massive vote of confidence from Maresca to start the English teenager in a Conference League semi-final, even though they were in complete control of the tie.
