Chelsea fans saw signs of Declan Rice in the performance of academy starlet Reggie Watson during the first pre-season friendly of the summer.
The 16-year-old was handed a start by Xabi Alonso, and was the only player to feature for the entire 90 minutes.
This was partly due to the injury suffered by Romeo Lavia, although he still outlasted senior teammate Dario Essugo in terms of minutes on the pitch.
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Chelsea fans compare Reggie Watson to Declan Rice after pre-season win
Watson showed a superb ability to drive the Blues forward from defensive areas, made all the more impressive when taking into account the poor quality pitch he was playing on.
Some Chelsea supporters have seen this style of play before, and took to social media to compare the youngster to Arsenal’s Declan Rice.
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One user said: “Reggie Watson reminds me of Declan Rice when he broke out at West Ham. Good understanding of the game, battle ready, tries to pass early, drives when he can but not so comfortable when pressed and also not so clean first take.
“They are like mirror images of each other, both in attributes and physical build. What Reggie needs now is to play regular games, and clean up his first touch, and gain technical security to handle pressure from opponents.”
Another added: “Reggie Watson reminds me of Declan Rice. I think we genuinely have our very own Adam Wharton.”
A third claimed: “Reggie Watson gives serious early Declan Rice vibes! Strong, smart, and always ready for a battle. If he gets consistent minutes, sharpens his first touch, and learns to handle heavy pressure, he’s going to be a total monster.”
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Finally, one user said: “This lad right here if nurtured well is a reflection of Declan Rice and a very nice game here.”
Not only are there similarities in his game in terms of carrying the ball forwards, Watson has made a name for himself at youth level for being dangerous from set pieces like Rice too.
Tosin Adarabioyo should have scored from a couple of the 16-year-old’s corners against Western Sydney Wanderers, and he went close with a free-kick in the second half too.
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Reggie Watson has already impressed the Chelsea first team
Watson recently scored two free-kicks in the same game at the Messi Cup, in front of the best player who has ever played the game.
The youngster has clearly left an early impression on Alonso, and has already got some experience training alongside the first team players at the club.
Watson reportedly made a ‘scary impression’ when training amongst their top stars last season, and is likely to feature again throughout the rest of pre-season.
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