LOUNGING IN a hotel room in Holland, teenage talents Izzy Brown and Dominic Solanke are mulling over some high praise from Jose Mourinho.
It’s 2014 and, while on Chelsea’s pre-season tour, the Portuguese coach has just admitted he should take full responsibility if Brown, Solanke and Lewis Baker are not senior England internationals in the next few years.
Izzy Brown signed for Chelsea in 2013 – and has been loaned out ever sinceCredit: PA:Press Association
Brown has managed just one senior appearance for Chelsea – under Jose MourinhoCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Brown smiles when reminded, and recollects: “Dominic was like: ‘Izzy, did you see what Jose said?’
“We didn’t pay too much attention to it at the time. We were only 16 or 17 and thought England was a long way away.
“We appreciated that one of the best managers in the world said that about us, but all we cared about was first team football.
“That was enough of an accomplishment for us.”
Five years on, and based on his own bold promise, Jose should be looking back with a guilty conscience at the progress of his young British trio.
In that 2014/15 title winning campaign, Baker would make no first team appearances, and was loaned out to Sheffield Wednesday and then MK Dons in January.
Solanke became the youngest Chelsea player to make his debut in the Champions League after coming off the bench against NK Maribor in October 2014 – his only senior appearance.
And Brown finally made his Premier League debut in the penultimate game of the season – a 3-0 loss away to West Brom.
What followed for these three would be loan move after loan move after loan move – fourteen in total between them – as well as reputations of being injury-prone, unsettled, not good enough or difficult to manage.
It’s the latter that annoys Brown the most, who himself is still signed on to Chelsea after switching from West Brom as a 16-year-old, currently enjoying a sixth successive loan – this time with Luton Town.
And it’s the fact he is still associated with the Blues that he believes he has earned an unwanted and undeserved tag.
‘I’M NOT BIG TIME – I JUST LIKE CARS’
He explains: “I feel like a lot of people have a perception of me that I am big time. I am not big time when you get to know me.
“I am confident and I like cars. It is just a hobby but I don’t do it to show off.
“People have their perception. When they really meet me then they know. It is probably because I am from Chelsea.
“People think when you are from Chelsea you get everything, and it is true that when you are growing up at Chelsea you get everything given to you. It is not the real world.
“When you step out in the real world is when you go out on loan. Then you really understand what football is like. I think at Chelsea they sugar coat it when you are young.
“That’s why loans are so important because you can man up. When you come in the dressing room, there’s no one there for you.
“They are grown men and they will tell you when you are not doing good enough.
“It was nice to get away and I did it young, and it wasn’t too much for me because I wasn’t at Chelsea growing up. I was at West Brom and came through their academy.
“I wasn’t really in the bubble after being at West Brom but then you see other players in that bubble and you think they don’t understand.
“They don’t have to clean player’s boots, but it is just because it is a massive football club.”
Brown has tried his hardest to escape the Chelsea bubble as frequently as possible over the last six years with spells at Vitesse, Rotherham, Huddersfield, Brighton, Leeds and now Luton.
Injuries and inconsistent form has seen him make over 20 appearances in less than half of these season-long loan moves.
His most recent set-back, an ACL injury while at Brighton that dragged on into his switch to Leeds, left him wondering whether he would ever be the same man again, let alone a football player.
Brown suffered a huge set-back with an ACL injury at BrightonCredit: Reuters
A sad admission from the man who still dreams of emulating his hero Dennis Bergkamp when he catches a glimpse of the Arsenal striker on Sky Sports’ Premier League Legends.
But right now, Brown’s confidence is high, just as when Mourinho attempted to fill his ego with dreams of a Three Lions debut.
He explained: “In my head, I think I can play in the Premier League.
“I don’t think that’s big headed because I have been there before and I don’t think I was out of my limits. But with my injuries I took two steps back when I was on my way up.
“When I am on the pitch, I do feel like you can’t tackle me. I am going to run over you in this game. You are not going to get close to me. If it is me against you then I am going to beat you.
“When you go into a game with that mentality, you are already a step. You’re not arrogant. You are confident.”
He added: “I am not focused on the Premier League at the moment.
“I think everyone has a different path. You can have your moment when you are 18 or 25. There’s no age limit.
“I know that when my time comes, I am going to be ready to take it.”
For all his talk of having eyes only for Luton, it would be naïve to believe that Brown’s gaze has not been drawn to the progress of Frank Lampard’s new-look Chelsea, where the kids are finally being given a chance.
Brown has struggled to cement a place in the Chelsea first teamCredit: Rex Features
Brown reveals former Blues star turned coach Tore Andre Flo has already been to see him at Luton’s training base three times this season, as well as at three Championship games.
And for most, this constant reminder of big strides being made in your absence could lead to a build-up of anger and resentment.
Instead, Brown insists he feels nothing but pride for his childhood pals Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori.
He said: “We are all 1997 kids. We played at England together.
“It’s great to see as everyone used to think Chelsea don’t bring through young players.
“But now Lampard is in charge you are starting to see them playing well and Chelsea are winning games so you can’t question that those players are not good enough because they are going out every day and performing.
“I am happy because for the future of Chelsea and the young players there, it’s going to be a good thing that they are doing so well.”
This maturity and level-headed nature stems from Brown’s upbringing, as well as the new responsibility of fatherhood with girlfriend Destiny and their baby daughter.
He reveals his mother’s post-match analysis mirrors that of his own coaches, while Destiny’s doting nature – even while pregnant – provided him with the support he needed when recovering from injury.
And if Brown is to finally recapture his dream of becoming a Premier League regular at Chelsea, the biggest thanks will land at their doors.
‘MY GIRLFRIEND WOULD HELP WASH ME’
Brown laughed: “I don’t really watch my assists or things like that. I look at the negative things. The misplaced passes and losing possession.
“My mum will even tell me: ‘Your pass completion was only 70%? That’s not good enough!’
“I was in a situation the other day where I made the team of the month and I had the second highest rating. My mum asked: ‘Why weren’t you the highest rating?’ I was like: ‘I have just got back to playing every week!’
“It is good because it keeps you grounded and it makes you want to do more. When you start getting ahead of yourself and taking it for granted then that’s when someone can take your place.”
He continued: “I don’t know how my girlfriend put up with me after my ACL operation.
“The mood swings from the heavy tablets I was having – I was a ghost. I didn’t know what I was saying but she made sure I had my ice on every minute. She would refill it.
“She would get me drinks when I couldn’t move, help me upstairs and even washed me when I couldn’t shower.
“She made sure we did the exercises together that the doctor gave me. She was pregnant and doing the exercises while I was injured. She did a lot.
“I don’t know where I would be. I could still be injured or have the pain in my knee.
“She did so much. She was watching over me.”
Chelsea player fines revealed as Frank Lampard demands £20,000 for being late to training and £500 a minute for meetings
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
