Billy Gilmour reveals what he told Thomas Tuchel before leaving Chelsea
Chelsea former youngster Billy Gilmour revealed his last few days at Chelsea and that during the 2021–22 pre-season after he made the decision to leave the club.
The 22-year-old was promoted to the senior team under Frank Lampard and was quick to grab the attention of fans and the manager with his performances. However, that early promise did not see him step up and establish himself as a first XI star.
His efforts paid off as he was called for Euro 2020 with Scotland , but after that, it all went downhill for the midfielder. He was abruptly loaned to Norwich City, where he endured a poor season and the club was relegated to the Championship.
The current Brighton & Hove Albion player returned to Chelsea. However, he was not in the plans of then manager Thomas Tuchel and was cut from the first-team squad and made to train with the reserves.
And that was the time he understood his time at Chelsea was over and a move away to reignite his form was the only option. Gilmour joined Brighton for £7.5 million and is now flourishing under Roberto de Zerbi. He recalls his last days at Chelsea, where he acknowledged that he needed to leave the club, and during an interview with TalkSport (h/t Metro), he revealed:
‘‘For me, it was the right time to leave. I spoke with the manager at the time, Thomas Tuchel, and he thought the same. In pre-season, it kind of kept getting more and more that I was going to leave. I wasn’t seeing much chance in the first team, so I took the decision and said, OK, I want to push on now and do what’s best for me, and that was to be at a club that appreciates me.”
We really wasted a quality player and didn’t allow him sufficient opportunity to develop into a seasoned player. He had a successful period under Lampard, and if Tuchel had intended on cultivating him, Chelsea would be where it is right now. His future wasn’t with the West Londoners, though, and that’s acceptable.
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He has hopefully discovered a team where he has grown into a standout player and where his talent will undoubtedly propel him further. Gilmour has profited from his move to the Seagulls, and Brighton are too much of a club to foster young players.