Focus on Youth – Player #1 Gael Kakuta

There are not many 18 year-old footballers who have received as much media attention as Gael Kakuta has, still only a fledgling talent, the acrimony over his move from Lens garnered the club and football plenty of negative attention and threaten to derail Kakuta’s career with a lengthy ban.

Fortunately sense prevailed and the transfer and playing bans imposed were overturned on appeal, during the furore the youngster also made his first team debut.

Fast with quick feet, he is undoutably an exciting player and his perfomances at youth and low key senior level have been thrilling to watch.

With an ageing squad and a policy of sustainable transfer development, it is important to the fans and the club that talents such as Gael have every chance to succeed at the club and break the prolonged cycle of youth failure that the club endured.

Hopefully this will be the year when we read about the coming of age of Gael Kakuta and a host of other fledgling Chelsea starlets.