Former Chelsea star Tony Cascarino believes his former club have their current transfer ban to thank for the impressive form so far shown this season by academy trio Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori.
The Blues were unable to strengthen their squad in the summer transfer window after being hit with the ban towards end of last season.
New boss Frank Lampard, who was appointed Chelsea manager following Maurizio Sarri's departure to Juventus, immediately set about promoting a host of youngsters who had either been out loan or playing for the club's Under-23 side, and Cascarino is delighted that his former club are finally putting faith into the club's youth set-up.
“When we had the ‘Class of 92’ at Manchester United we applauded them for bringing all these young players through,” the former Republic of Ireland international told talkSPORT .
“Fergie was very fortunate to have such a group of players coming through at the same time.
“I’ve always been frustrated of Chelsea having so much success in the youth system but never having that conveyor belt of bringing those players through into the first team.
“Tammy was one of a good number of players who probably wouldn’t have been in the team if Chelsea had a transfer budget. They probably wouldn’t have been anywhere near the first team, Tammy would have gone on loan somewhere else.
“So let’s give Lampard some credit here because he has got choices at Chelsea, their squad is big enough not to play these young players. Olivier Giroud could easily have played at centre-forward yesterday.
“At the start of the season it probably would have been Giroud first choice, Michy Batshuayi second and Tammy third, but Tammy has become the number one choice in a matter of three games. That’s credit to him but also the manager, because Frank has chosen to make that decision.
“Then you’ve got Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi waiting in the wings and Ruben Loftus-Cheek who is older than the others but you’d like to think he’ll play a lot this season.
“I’ve always thought it would have been such a mistake to have had all these great academy players and them not to have some sort of say in Chelsea’s future in the next five years, so I’m delighted.”
