Chelsea coach delighted after board announce defender has signed for Chelsea
Hassan Sulaiman, one of Alfie Gilchrist’s early coaches at Chelsea and now in charge of our the clubs-18s, has been opening up after the news broke that the talent agreed to sign up with Chelsea
Gilchrist joined the Academy as an Under-11 and moved through the age groups at Cobham with his impressive performances impressing a number of coaches at the club
The defender has enjoyed a breakthrough season with his boyhood club, making 12 appearances for Mauricio Pochettino’s side and he has now been rewarded with a new contract at the club.
And Sulaiman has been opening up after the news broke that the talent agreed to sign up with CHELSEA
‘I worked with Alfie at Under-13s,’ recalls Sulaiman. ‘He was in many ways the same type of player he is now. He was a bit quieter because he was still finding his feet at Chelsea after joining from QPR, but he held himself and his team to high standards, had leadership qualities and always gave 100 per cent.
‘There was a transition coming from QPR because at Chelsea we often had more of the ball. We worked with him to refine his technical skills so he could play through a press confidently with a range of passes.
‘He did take real joy from making tackles, making blocks, stopping his opponent, defending well. Those defensive instincts are so important – and they are not always easy to come by now because everyone glamourises playing out from the back rather than the art of defending.’
The lad said after agreeing a deal: ‘Signing this contract at CHELSEA is a massive achievement for me and my family,’ said Gilchrist. ‘It was a no-brainer and every time I’ve signed a contract here it has felt nicer and nicer. But now I want to keep on pushing on and keep improving.’