If you’ve been watching Chelsea over the last couple of seasons, you’ll know it hasn’t really been about winning games.
There’s been a lot of confusion, changes, and a lot of money spent. But behind all that, something else is happening.
While most people focused on the big names and transfers, there’s actually a more interesting story going on. And it starts with two names that most football fans probably haven’t heard about yet. Reggie Walsh and Jesse Derry.
These aren’t your average Academy kids getting 10-minute cameos in preseason. They’re two of the standout prospects Chelsea have developed in recent years, and if early signs are anything to go by, they might end up being much more than just background players.
What we’re seeing now could be the early steps of a long-term shift, something Chelsea haven’t properly committed to in a while. Trusting youth again, not just buying ready-made stars.
Chelsea Are Stuck Between the Past and the Future
Right now, Chelsea are in a different level. when Abramovich was in charge, the main focus was winning trophies, Aiming for top results, and not wasting time doing it.
Players came in, managers rotated, and the Academy, though respected, was often left waiting in the background.
That changed a bit during Frank Lampard’s first stint as manager, when transfer restrictions forced the club’s hand.
We saw Mason Mount, Reece James, Tammy Abraham, and Fikayo Tomori get serious chances and fans loved it.
There was something raw and emotional about seeing local boys wear the badge with pride. It wasn’t just the quality of the football, it was what it meant.
But after Lampard left, and especially since the new ownership arrived, things turned frantic again.
Big signings, new faces every few weeks, long contracts, expensive flops, and it all started to feel like a FIFA Career Mode save on steroids. Every week there seemed to be a new name, another hype train, another big fee.
And yet, under all that noise, the Academy kept producing. And once again, we’re starting to hear about a few names that might not just survive in this system, they might define it.
Let's Talk About Reggie Walsh?
Reggie Walsh plays in midfield and was born in 2006. He’s been with Chelsea since he was a kid in the Academy.
He’s not the kind of player who tries to show off or post skills on social media. But when you watch him play, you’ll see he stays calm and makes good decision with the ball, something rare for someone his age.
Walsh is the kind of player u like the more you watch him. He reads the game well, he moves intelligently, and he always looks like he knows what’s going to happen two steps ahead. Some people call that “football IQ.” Others just call it being a proper midfielder.
He’s already worn the captain’s armband for the youth team, which shows the coaches believe in him. He’s only 18, but he’s been training with the first team, getting some minutes in preseason, and he’s starting to catch people’s attention.
What makes him stands out most isn’t just the talent, it’s the calmness. Walsh doesn’t play like someone trying to impress. He plays like someone who belongs.
His passes are simple, but always with purpose. His positioning is smart and he never looks rushed.
And what people don’t see on highlight reels is his leadership. Teammates listen to him and coaches trust him. He organizes on the pitch like someone five years older. That maturity might be his biggest asset.
And What About Jesse Derry?
If Walsh is the brain in midfield, Jesse Derry brings the fire out wide. Derry is a fast, tricky winger who loves to dribble defenders. He plays with confidence and always tries to create chances when he's with the ball.
He’s come up through the Chelsea academy just like Walsh, and now people are already noticing him, both fans and the coaching staff.
What people appreciate most about him is that he’s not over coached. A lot of young players today look too rehearsed like they’ve spent years doing drills but forgot how to take risks. Not Derry.
He still has that street football vibe. You can see it in how he plays one versus one. He's not scared, even when he plays against experienced players.
He’s still learning, but if he keeps getting chances to play, he could become a top player.
He still makes mistakes, like passing too quickly or not moving into the right space, but there’s something special about the way he plays. That edge, something you can’t teach. And sometimes, that’s more valuable than polish.
Why Homegrown Players Like Walsh and Derry Matters to Chelsea Fans
If you support Chelsea and you’re tired of the club spending £100 million every transfer window, seeing young players come through feels good.
These are not players parachuted in from elsewhere. They’ve come through the system, they know what the badge means. And they actually want to be here, not just for the contract, but to be part of something.
There’s something powerful about seeing a club value its own. It makes the connection between fans and players stronger. When you watch Mount or James succeed, you don’t just cheer, you feel like you're watching one of your own.
That’s what Walsh and Derry could bring back: identity. Real identity. Not just slogans on Twitter, but actual roots. Fans relate to that. It feels like the club is theirs again.
Are Reggie Walsh and Jesse Derry Ready for Chelsea’s First Team?
Let’s not pretend these lads are guaranteed to become first-team starters this season. They’re still young. They’re still learning. And the Premier League is a brutal place to grow up in.
But that doesn’t mean they’re not ready to be given a chance.
you’re not expecting young players to be perfect. What matters is if they’re willing to learn, improve, and compete. Both Walsh and Derry tick those boxes. They’re already comfortable playing against older players.
They’ve shown mental strength in youth competitions. And when thrown into first-team training, they’ve not looked out of place.
No one’s saying they need to start every game. But if Chelsea are serious about rebuilding in a smart, sustainable way, giving minutes to Academy products like these has to be part of the plan.
You don’t build culture with short-term buys. You build it by trusting people who care about the badge.
What Enzo Maresca Brings to Chelsea
Enzo Maresca is known for being smart with tactics and giving young players a chance. At Leicester, he showed he’s willing to build a team around technical players who understand their roles on the pitch.
That could be good news for players like Walsh, who thrive on control and decision-making.
Maresca isn’t the type to hand out debuts just for the PR buzz, but if a young player fits the system, he’ll use them.
Walsh’s style suits a possession-based model, and Derry’s explosiveness on the flanks could provide a different dimension in matches where Chelsea need width and unpredictability.
This might finally be a manager who sees the long game, rather than just plugging gaps with expensive short-term buys. He’s worked under Pep. He knows how to implement structure. He values training-ground consistency. All of that helps young players.
Why Reggie Walsh Could Be the Perfect Fit for Enzo Maresca’s Style
If you watched how Enzo Maresca coached Leicester, you’d notice some things. He wanted his players to pass with control, keep possession, and stay calm when they are under pressure. Reggie Walsh fit the style perfectly.
Walsh isn’t just someone who runs around tackling or playing safe passes sideways. He understands tempo. He’s comfortable in tight spaces, knows how to turn with the ball, and doesn’t losses ball easily.
That kind of midfield discipline is exactly what Maresca wants. The manager doesn’t just want workhorses, he wants thinkers.
Having someone like Walsh, who has already shown he can lead and organize from deep midfield, could give Maresca a real project to build around. And because he’s still young, Maresca can mold him without having to undo years of habits from elsewhere.
Add to that Walsh’s ability to switch play and his vision to spot third-man runs, it’s not hard to imagine him becoming a regular starter within a year or two. Especially if Maresca builds his system around midfield control.
From Cobham to the Bridge: Why Homegrown Talent Means A lot
There’s something different about seeing one of your own make it. It hits differently.If a kid grows up training at Cobham and dream about playing at Stamford Bridge, then he finally gets that chance, it’s not just a debut. It means a lot.
We’ve seen it with Reece James. Fans didn’t just respect his game, they loved him because he deserves it. He understood what it meant to fight for the badge. The same thing can happen with Walsh and Derry.
When fans feel connected to players, the atmosphere at the club changes. It becomes more emotional, more grounded. It’s not just about numbers or stats, it’s about pride. And that can carry a team through tough patches.
Having that kind of player in the dressing room also sets a tone. It reminds the big signings what the club stands for.
It creates accountability, and it means that when times get tough, you’ve got players who aren’t looking for the next move they’re looking to fix things.
What Chelsea Must Do Now
The key for Chelsea going forward is balance. Nobody’s saying they need to ditch transfers or stop competing for big names. But they need to stop blocking pathways for their own.
If Reggie Walsh is good enough to be on the bench, let him be on the bench. If Jesse Derry has shown he can play 20 minutes in the Premier League, give him those minutes. Don’t sign three players in their position just to be safe.
Fans are patient when they see a plan. If Maresca and the board show faith in youth, fans will back it. But it has to be real. Not PR. Not token appearances. Actual investment of time and trust.
Give these kids the minutes, let them make mistakes and let them grow.
Because what’s the point of having one of the best academies in Europe if you’re not going to use it?
And even from a business side, it makes sense. A homegrown success story can save the club tens of millions in transfer fees. And if they reach the top level, their value skyrockets.
Comparing Walsh and Derry
Though they play in different positions, Walsh and Derry represent two sides of Chelsea’s youth setup.
Walsh is the composed, tactically aware midfielder who can control games. Derry is the fearless, creative winger who can change matches with one run.
Together, they show the range of talent coming out of Cobham. More importantly, they show the kind of identity Chelsea can return to: a mix of local pride and modern footballing intelligence.
This new era isn’t about shortcuts. It’s about building something that lasts. And if Chelsea do this right, we won’t just be talking about Walsh and Derry as good prospects. We’ll be talking about them as leaders of the next great Chelsea team.
Are you excited about Reggie Walsh and Jesse Derry? Do you want to see more Academy players in the first team? Drop your thoughts below. Let’s talk about the future, not just the next signing.