Reece James enjoyed a very productive outing for Chelsea on Saturday, however he also praised one of the club’s loanees for getting off the mark for his current side.
The club captain was on the scoresheet as the Blues ran out 3-0 winners against Nottingham Forest, signalling the end of Ange Postecoglou’s short reign in charge.
Having come through the club’s academy, James is an inspiration for the young players at the club, and was full of praise for Josh Acheampong after his first Chelsea goal at the weekend.
One of the youngsters who is currently earning his stripes away from Stamford Bridge is Omari Kellyman. The former Aston Villa man is yet to make a senior appearance for the Blues.
Burnley v Cardiff City - Carabao Cup Third Round
Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images
Reece James praises Chelsea’s Omari Kellyman after first goal on loan
He got his move late in the summer transfer window to Cardiff, however Kellyman was subbed off just 36 minutes into his debut for the club.
Despite that, he found the net in the Bluebirds’ 2-1 victory against Reading, scoring for Cardiff for the first time.
James was one of those who responded to Kellyman’s Instagram post, with former Blue Carney Chukwuemeka also sharing praise for the attacking midfielder.
Enzo Maresca is good friends with Cardiff manager Brian Barry-Murphy, and will be confident that he is in good hands to further his development.
Reece James during Chelsea against Liverpool in the Premier League.
Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images
Kellyman’s terrible luck since joining Chelsea
Despite joining Chelsea over a year ago, Kellyman was only able to play 158 minutes for the Chelsea academy throughout last season.
Kellyman suffered a string of bad hamstring injuries, essentially robbing him of a year of football and development.
After being left out of the Club World Cup squad, it became clear that the youngster was not in the manager’s plans for the upcoming campaign, and a spell away from West London was the best thing for him.
With an already bloated squad, it does look difficult to see where Kellyman will fit in, particularly after a summer transfer window where Estevao Willian, Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho and Joao Pedro have all joined the club.