The sight of Lewis Hall at the age of 17 confidently gliding with the ball at his feet with few signs of nerves might have been a shock a decade ago. When the inclusion of academy talent in the first team began and ended with John Terry.
But the conveyor belt of talent from Cobham to Stamford Bridge has only grown since Frank Lampard helped to shatter the perceived glass ceiling before 2019.
Thomas Tuchel has gladly continued that by sticking with the talent promoted before him and uncovering some of his own by keeping Trevoh Chalobah in the senior squad this season.
That new equilibrium should not demean Hall’s output on Saturday evening at an energised Stamford Bridge, including 5,800 travelling Chesterfield supporters in The Shed End.(FootballLondon)