Why player with 1 appearance is among “most influential in the Chelsea dressing room” | OneFootball

The role of the third choice goalkeeper in modern top level football is a fascinating one.

Every team needs one in the squad – but they’re so unlikely to be needed that nobody wants to spend big money on them, and they also have to be at a stage in their career where they don’t mind whole seasons on the bench.

Instead of being a dead weight however, teams long ago learned to use these players to their advantage. Both the Premier League and European competitions now have rules about home grown players, and almost universally top teams make sure they’ve got an Englishman as their third choice, to contribute to those quotas.

If they’re not going to play, they may as well at least help out by having a useful passport.

Behind the scenes work with academy talents

In Chelsea’s case however, their spare man Marcus Bettinelli adds even more value than just his nationality. The 32 year old is the subject of an in depth interview with Simon Johnson where the Athletic interviewer drilled down into what the stopper does behind the scenes.

Clearly it’s vital to have an older head around when you’re dealing with such a ridiculously young squad. Especially when it comes to goalkeepers, it seems like Bettinelli is a great presence in training, and we’ve seen the evidence in various behind the scenes videos. Johnson says he’s among the “most influential players in the Chelsea dressing room.”

“I helped people like Eddie Beach and Ted Curd last season. That is what I love doing, seeing young lads improve. I can give them tips and share the experiences of what I have done,” the former Fulham stopper explained.

So here’s to unsung heroes like Marcus. After a period of exceptional upheaval, we need older heads and players who have been around the block to help out training some of these young talents for the future.