Former Chelsea defender Glen Johnson has described the lengths that Blues assistant manager Jody Morris goes to at Chelsea to help create a pathway for young players.
Morris returned to Stamford Bridge this summer alongside Frank Lampard, who took charge after guiding Derby County to the Championship play-off final last term.
So far this season, the duo have handed a number of opportunities to the younger contingent at Chelsea, with the likes of Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori benefiting as a result.
While that has been impacted by Chelsea's FIFA-imposed transfer ban, the arrival of Lampard and Morris has led to a change of approach in west London, with youngsters being introduced into the first team regularly.
Now, Johnson has revealed the true depths of Morris' commitment to the next generation with the Champions League side as he even watches the under 8 side in action.
“I didn’t know Tammy Abraham was capable of this last season. So it’s great to see. Maybe there’s more out there and if they’re given a chance, they’ll take it with both hands," he told Talksport.
“My young one is at Chelsea’s academy and we see Jody Morris over there, it’s the Under-8s!
“The boys are well off in terms of the timeline, but they’re looking at all of the age groups and building bridges up to the first team.
“Normally the first team is miles away from the academy and none of the kids will ever get an opportunity.”
However, Johnson warned that expectations should be controlled this season and stated his belief that a sixth-placed finish would be a respectable end to the campaign.
“The way they can’t sign anyone, they lost their best player and can’t replace him. They’ve got to give kids a chance and some of them have never played in the Premier League before.
“I think sixth would be a good season for them.”
