In 2014, Jose Mourinho foresaw bright futures for three young Chelsea talents, believing they would go on to accomplish big things. However, their careers have taken varied paths since then.
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When Mourinho returned to Chelsea for a second stint in 2013, he was shaping a squad to compete for the title in his second season. ..Continue Reading
He brought in players like Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas, Filipe Luis, and Juan Cuadrado during the summer transfer window.
Yet, before the season began, Mourinho praised three young English players from Chelsea’s academy, expressing confidence that they would succeed.
He was so certain of their potential that he even remarked he would “blame” himself if they failed to earn a place in the national team.
Speaking on the tour, Mourinho said: “My conscience tells me that if, for example, [Lewis] Baker, [Izzy] Brown and [Dominic] Solanke are not national team players in a few years, I should blame myself.
“They are part of a process the club started without me. At this moment, we have players who will be Chelsea players. And when they become Chelsea players, they will become England players, almost for sure.”
Although they played key roles in Chelsea’s youth success, the trio’s careers didn’t unfold as expected.
Lewis Baker made only two appearances for Chelsea, both in FA Cup games, separated by eight years.
While under contract with Chelsea, he went on numerous loan spells, including stints at Sheffield Wednesday, MK Dons, Vitesse, Middlesbrough, Leeds, Reading, Fortuna Dusseldorf, and Trabzonspor.
Eventually, he found regular play at Stoke City in the Championship, making 92 appearances and scoring 20 goals over four seasons. This season, he joined Blackburn Rovers on loan but has only featured once so far.
Izzy Brown’s journey was similar. He also had loan spells at Vitesse and Sheffield Wednesday, as well as at Rotherham, Huddersfield, Brighton, Leeds, and Luton.
Despite being touted by Mourinho as a future star, he made only one brief appearance in Chelsea’s 2014/15 title-winning season, coming on as a late substitute in a 3-0 loss to his former club, West Brom.
Brown signed with Preston North End on a free transfer in 2021 but never played for them due to injury and was released. He retired in 2023 after two severe Achilles injuries.
Dominic Solanke, another academy graduate, also spent time on loan at Vitesse.
He left Chelsea with only a 17-minute Champions League appearance for the first team and struggled to make an impact at Liverpool, where he went 26 games without scoring.
Eventually, he found form at Bournemouth, scoring 21 goals in the 2023/24 season, which led to a £55 million move to Spurs, where he’s since scored five goals.
Seven years after his England debut, Solanke made a return to the national team with a substitute appearance against Greece in October.
