Chelsea starlet Billy Gilmour will not rest on his laurels as he chases the elusive dream of a successful career at the very top of the game.
The 18-year-old is on the cusp of a breakthrough at Stamford Bridge as Frank Lampard continues to come good on the promise of giving more chances to the club's academy products, but he is already setting his bar incredibly high.
The teenaged Scot has already grabbed the chances he has been given by the scruff of the neck, bossing the midfield as he played the full 90 minutes in the Blues' resounding 7-1 victory in the third round of the Carabao Cup against Grimsby Town.
Lampard described him as the best player on the field in that game, though Gilmour hasn't stopped there - as he started against Manchester United in the same competition and also featured in the 2-2 Premier League draw with Sheffield United.
Speaking exclusively to 90min ahead of adidas' launch of their Encryption pack, the diminutive central midfielder outlined the players he wants to emulate as his fledgling career starts to gain traction.
"[Andrés] Iniesta, Cesc Fabrégas, more maestros on the ball," said the ambitious youngster. "But obviously when I’m training I’ve got Kovacic, Jorginho - I kind of look up to them and they don’t lose the ball much at all, especially Jorginho.
"They’re top players and obviously they help me a lot with my game, they speak to me which is very good, and obviously to see it up close and train with them I’m always learning, so that’s the best training for me."
Lampard has spoken in glowing terms about the 18-year-old: "Every training session Billy takes part in he lights it up with energy, quality and angles.
"He’s like an old-fashioned midfield player,
"Playing in the Premier League, training with the best team, the best players in the world, so it’s been really good."
Billy Gilmour wears the adidas Nemeziz 19+, available at www.adidas.co.uk/football-shoes.
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Source : 90min