Since his breakout game for Chelsea against Liverpool last month, Billy Gilmour has disclosed the words that Frank Lampard shared with him to support and encourage him.
The 18-year-old Scottish midfielder impressed supporters and commentators both with a professional performance against the European champions, appearing every inch like a first-team regular as the Blues kicked Liverpool out of the FA Cup with a 2-0 victory. As a teenager, Gilmour claims he went past the clear examples of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, to the likes of former Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas as he honed his own skills.
“I always worried of what I was going to do as I went off to the match,” Gilmour told Sky Sports. “Then the gaffer said to me: ‘Go out and play your own game.’ That gives you plenty of confidence to go out and do what you love.
“Playing in the game, there were moments that I thought were rough, but when I got on the pitch, I felt fantastic. I saw players running around, and it made things easier for me. It was a wonderful, great game and I was glad to perform well, and then it was awesome to collect the match guy.
“It feels nice to get first-team experience against Liverpool, the strongest side in the world right now,” he concluded.
