Rangers wonderkid Billy Gilmour appears to have his heart set on a move to Chelsea – but will this be the making or breaking of his career?
Ironically, Billy Gilmour may be a little too young to remember the cautionary tale of Islam Feruz (above). Rejecting a contract at the Glasgow giants, the 14-year-old swapped Celtic for Chelsea in 2011, believing that he could fulfil his terrifying potential under the bright lights of Stamford Bridge.
Six years on, however, it’s fair to say his plan hasn’t exactly worked out. Feruz has endured temporary spells at five different clubs, from OFI Crete to Blackpool and currently Swindon Town, without ever making a senior appearance for Chelsea.
He’s now 21.
Therefore, Rangers’ 15-year-old wonderkid should surely think twice about following Feruz from Glasgow to London. It seems everyone with a vested interest in The Gers is desperately attempting to prevent Gilmour from taking such a risk – more for his own prospects than the club’s hopes of hanging onto their prized asset.
And former Rangers assistant Archie Knox has joined the ever-growing contingent hoping to convince Gilmour to carry on his progression in Scotland.
“It’s a complete nonsense that we should be putting laddies under that sort of pressure at 15,” Knox, who worked at the club alongside manager Walter Smith between 1991 and 1997, told Herald Scotland.
“I have seen the lad playing and he’s talented and can look after the ball but there’s so many other things to take into account. My advice is to stick with what you’ve got and see how you are going to progress because you can go to these places and just become another number.”
According to the Daily Mail, Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha recently spoke personally to Gilmour’s parents to plead for him to remain in Scotland. The previous incumbent, Mark Warburton, also invited the teenager to first-team training to give him a taste of life in the senior squad.
Gilmour may miss that personal touch if he is enticed by the glamour of Chelsea.
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