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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Gabriel McKay

Billy Gilmour stars for Chelsea as pundits rave about youngster's midfield masterclass in man of the match display

Chelsea youngster Billy Gilmour wowed fans and pundits as he starred in a 2-0 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup, winning man of the match for a towering performance against the European champions.

The 18-year-old was thrown into the starting XI against the Premier League champions in waiting by manager Frank Lampard, for what was only his third start for the club.

The fomer Rangers midfielder could get more chances in the coming weeks, with Jorginho suspended for the next three matches.

And Gilmour certainly staked his claim, with the BBC pundits covering the game blown away by his performance.

Host Gary Lineker declared at half-time: "Blimey what a mature display from an 18-year-old", before Alan Shearer gave his analysis.

(AFP via Getty Images)

The Newcastle United legend said: "A lot of the time I've seen Chelsea this season, yes they have good possession in Jorginho and the way he passes it, but he hasn't done what this young boy has done in terms of getting the ball and passing it forward.

"That's been his first thought. Not only that but he's protected that back-four magnificently. Everything he's done has been spot on: the tackling, the timing of the tackles, setting Chelsea forward, the confidence.

"He's 18 years of age. To have that confidence, that belief in your ability - what a half he's had."

Fellow pundit Ian Wright agreed.

(AFP via Getty Images)

He said: "It is very impressive.

"Frank, in his interview before, said: 'listen, he's in there because he deserves to be in there'.

"He's someone who was tracked by (Manchester) City and (Manchester) United and Barcelona and Real Madrid, and you're watching him - I'm not going to go over the top on it - you can see for an 18-year-old, the way he's playing with maturity.

"Unbelievable display."

It was a unanimous verdict on the BBC panel, as Glen Johnson also praised Gilmour.

Johnson said: "All those players on the pitch know him a lot better than we do.

"And you can see they've been passing him balls in positions where they're half-risky. You can tell that they believe in him, they believe in his ability and that he can cope mentally."

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