Gary Neville praises “fantastic” Chelsea star as the kind of player England are missing | OneFootball

Gary Neville praises “fantastic” Chelsea star as the kind of player England are missing | OneFootball

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·20 June 2021

Gary Neville praises “fantastic” Chelsea star as the kind of player England are missing

Article image:Gary Neville praises “fantastic” Chelsea star as the kind of player England are missing

Manchester United and England legend Gary Neville has heaped praise onto Chelsea youngster Billy Gilmour after his superb performance for Scotland in Euro 2020 on Friday night.

The 20-year-old was one of the stand-out performers for Scotland as they surprisingly held England to a 0-0 draw at Wembley in an intriguing European Championships contest.


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Gilmour has not always managed to get regular playing time at Chelsea, but has always looked a terrific prospect whenever he’s had opportunities in the Blues’ first-team.

Neville thinks the Scottish starlet showed that he has that quality and composure on the ball that England are lacking – claims that will no doubt worry Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate.

Speaking on ITV Sport, as quoted by the Metro, Neville said: “He came into a cup game against Liverpool in his first game [for Chelsea] and he was brilliant.

Article image:Gary Neville praises “fantastic” Chelsea star as the kind of player England are missing

“His temperament is fantastic, he accepts the ball, watching those clips, it’s a sobering experience for England.

“Gilmour, McGinn and McGregor were better on the ball than England midfield players but not just that, Tierney, Hanley and McTominay at the back were better on the ball passing it into midfield, Stones, Mings, Rice and Phillips struggled to get that build-up play right last night.

“Gilmour was always available, England don’t have that player.

“People might point at Kalvin Phillips but he is not as good on the ball, at accepting the ball, as Gilmour. Technically, he’s a little bit better.”

Chelsea fans can certainly be excited about Gilmour’s talent, and many will be hoping he gets more chances to play for Thomas Tuchel’s side next season.

Still, there is plenty of competition for places in the CFC squad, so it won’t be easy for Gilmour to get in ahead of the likes of Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic, while N’Golo Kante is surely undroppable.

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