Evening Standard
·2 April 2024
Evening Standard
·2 April 2024
Chelsea have agreed a new contract with young star Alfie Gilchrist.
The academy graduate has been rewarded for a breakthrough season with the first team, which saw him make his senior debut against Crystal Palace in late December and make a further 11 first-team appearances to date.
Gilchrist has started all three of Chelsea's FA Cup ties this season, including against Premier League side Aston Villa, and has penned a new deal which runs until 2026 with the option of a further year.
It is the second new contract of the season for the 20-year-old, having signed a two-year extension in September. Gilchrist, who can play at right-back or centre-back, is a boyhood Chelsea fan.
Alfie Gilchrist is popular among the fanbase
Chelsea FC via Getty Images
He told the club’s official website in January: “My grandad and my dad used to have season tickets. They used to go all the time, and my aunty used to go with them as well sometimes. So I obviously support Chelsea as well.
“I remember watching the Champions League final – the first time we won it – in my uncle’s living room. That was a good memory.
“Actually, my dad had a Football Manager game, or whatever it was called back then, and before I was even born, he made a player called ‘Alfie Gilchrist’, who played for Chelsea. He had chosen the name and everything, and he played with that character – as me – at Chelsea. So it’s crazy how it’s come to life.”