Frank Lampard likens Chelsea graduate to Manchester United legend

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has likened Billy Gilmour with Manchester United legend Paul Scholes in terms of the ability. The 18-year-old has been limited to only six appearances in his debut season with the senior squad but he has caught the eye with his movement and passing range from the centre of the park.

Gilmour had barely featured for the Blues during the first half of the campaign but he managed to impress after the winter break with appearances in different competitions. Those of those came against Liverpool and Everton right before the international break where he was adjudged the man of the match in both matches.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Lampard said that Gilmour’s quality reminds him of the development phase of Scholes at United, he told: “He [Paul Scholes] would always pick the right pass, he had incredible range. If you did try and jump from midfield and get to him and get close to him he’d just play it around the corner because he knew you were coming. Billy has shown early signs of that kind of ability. I’m not comparing him to Scholesy, no way at all, but in terms of those basics that you mentioned, then Billy certainly has them and that’s a great platform to build hopefully a fantastic career.”

Gilmour was deployed in a holding midfield role before the coronavirus shutdown and he caught the eye with the ease with which he dealt with the opposition threat around him. As such, the fans have lauded the youngster’s performances and it remains to be seen whether he can sustain the form over an extended period of time. The likes of N’Golo Kante and Ruben Loftus-Cheek should recover from their respective injuries when the season recommences and Gilmour’s spot in the starting XI may depend on whether he can maintain the high performance levels.