Billy Gilmour on why he moved to Chelsea, his Premier League dream, working under Frank Lampard and recovery from injury

He trains with world class players every day, has a strong family support network around him and has earned more plaudits and headlines in one season than some players get in a lifetime. And the one certainty right now? That there is plenty more to come.

Gilmour left Rangers at the age of 15 to pursue a lifelong ambition. In August last year, he would achieve it as the final six minutes of a draw with Sheffield United proved the most significant of his career to that point.

His journey has never been about proving others wrong, it is about affirming the belief that he has in his own mentality and ability. On that day, Gilmour took a step into the unknown and strode into the future.

There were those that said he was too small, that Chelsea wouldn’t give him a chance and that he was making a mistake that would be detrimental to his career. Gilmour knew differently, and had the talent and drive to show it.

“When I signed for Chelsea, there were a lot of folk asking the questions over why I left,” Gilmour told the Four Lads Had A Dream Podcast. “They said I was just going to be missing. But I wanted to follow my dream and if I had never done it, I would have regretted it.

“I took the chance, I worked hard and I came down here and believed in myself and my own ability to go to the top and play against these top players.

“So far things have gone well. I have made my first team debut against Sheffield United, I have played against top teams like Liverpool. Everything is going really well just now and I am still developing.”

That debut at Stamford Bridge was followed by his first start against Grimsby the following month. In October, Frank Lampard handed him a jersey at home to Manchester United and another Premier League run-out would follow in November against Crystal Palace.

With every outing, Gilmour’s reputation was enhanced and his relationship with Lampard was at the heart of his success. As the Chelsea boss put his faith in the kids, his rising stars were shining brightly.

“I have always said that my dream was to play in the Premier League and I got one step closer by signing for Chelsea,” Gilmour said.

“What made my decision was when you see all the players that have come out of the Chelsea youth academy and they are top players. Maybe they are not at Chelsea but they are playing at top clubs, like Nathan Ake at Manchester City.

“You see the youth players coming through at Chelsea now - like Mason Mount, Reece James, Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori – and they have won the FA Youth Cup seven times in the last ten years. It is incredible, the youth setup is amazing and I just had to take the next step in my career and go and challenge myself again.”

Those that had seen Gilmour in action during his formative years at Rangers knew straight away that there was something special about him. He was physically sleight, but head and shoulders above his peers.

The opportunity to sign for Chelsea was one that he simply couldn’t have rejected and his debut campaign – which saw him make 11 appearances before a knee injury prematurely ended his involvement in July – stands as a testament to Gilmour’s endeavours.

“The first month, adapting to life down here, it was very different to back home,” he said. “When I came down here, I moved into digs with two other boys from the team. We have our own room.

“I had just met them, I was in the same team and it goes very quick. You start to build a relationship, you are with them every day and going to training. In a football sense, when I was playing, I never thought about anything else.

“The boys were brilliant. We played games, we were winning everything, we won four trophies out of four in my first season. I was so happy and my family were watching.

“The physicality and the technical side of it down here is brilliant, everyone plays football. It is not just long balls, everyone is trying to play football the right way and that is part of my game.”

Gilmour plays with a maturity and composure beyond his years, with a vision that others simply do not possess. He operates for the team more than himself and there is a satisfaction - for those that play with him and watch him - in the way he finds space and team-mates with such ease and regularity.

Competition and inspiration were found in the shape of Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovačić last term but it was the encouragement and endorsement from Lampard that would ensure Gilmour realised his potential even earlier than he had anticipated.

“I never thought I would be where I am just now,” he said. “I thought maybe the next year I would go on loan.

“I have always had a plan in my head about coming through the Chelsea academy, trying to get first team experience and then getting myself in the team.

“The gaffer came in and took the team and Jody Morris and Joe Edwards, who were my youth coaches through Under 18s and 23s, were his assistants.

“I did pre-season with them, after that I was round training with them and then I got into the first team changing room, which was massive. I was really happy and I made a couple of appearances.”

There is almost a sense that it was meant to be for Gilmour last season. Just when he was ready to make the breakthrough, Chelsea appointed a manager who, both through circumstance and preference, had to assemble and field a younger, more vibrant side as Lampard returned to the club where he became a hero and a champion.

“The gaffer has been through it all, he has played with Chelsea and knows what it takes to be a Chelsea player and he is a legend at the club,” Gilmour said. “When he is your manager and he is telling you to do this or do that, you automatically get on board and you go and do what he says.

“He has so much trust in young players, in all the players at the club, and he wants us to play this way. You can see everything start to click with the new signings and it is a great place to be.”

It is only in recent days that Gilmour has been able to work with Lampard on the training pitches at Cobham once again, but the advice and guidance has never ceased through the most challenging months of the midfielder’s fledgling career.

The 80 minutes that Gilmour played at Selhurst Park in July would prove to be the last of his season and Lampard has been there for him through every step of his recovery from an operation to resolve a knee issue.

“After I got my surgery, he was just saying to take my time, not to rush getting back and just make sure that everything is fine,” Gilmour said. “He texted me after the surgery and said ‘heard it all went well, now it is just time to recover’.

“He was talking to me about he had an injury and was out for a long time and told me not to worry about it. You are thinking ‘that is fine’, but at the same time you are worrying about it if something went wrong.

“All the coaching staff were brilliant with me, Jody Morris and Joe Edwards as well, and they kept my thoughts and feelings high so that I wasn’t down.”

A natural enthusiasm for the game is as evident as the tenacity from within when Gilmour speaks. He has achieved so much thus far, but now is not the time to be content or to get ahead of himself.

He must earn his place and prove his worth all over again this season and the challenge isn’t one that will faze him. Neither it should when none have knocked him before now.

“I am really happy to be back playing with the lads and the new signings have been great additions to the team,” Gilmour said. “You can see this season that things have clicked and we are starting to get good results together now.

“Being back with the team, there is no better feeling. I have missed it so much. I was just raring to get back. I was sitting watching the games and thinking ‘I can’t wait to get back on the pitch and in the team’.

“The first training session back, it was like I had never been away. That was a good feeling.”

*The exclusive interview with Billy Gilmour is Episode 27 of the Four Lads Had A Dream Podcast. It will be released on Friday and is available through iTunes, Acast, YouTube and Spotify. For more information visit www.gersnet.co.uk or follow @4ladshadadream on Twitter.