Ben Chilwell and Reece James laud Chelsea star on social media as he makes debut for the Blues in win over Preston

Chelsea captain Reece James and vice-captain, Ben Chilwell recently congratulated the club's latest debutant Michael Golding on social media. Mauricio Pochettino opted to hand teenage sensation Golding a first taste of senior football against Preston North End in the FA Cup third round on January 6.

With two wins on the bounce, it was expected that the FA Cup third-round tie against Preston would be a walk in the park for the Blues. Pochettino opted to start most of his regulars at Stamford Bridge but gave the academy much to be proud of.

Levi Colwill led the team out as captain for the first time at Stamford Bridge, while Alfie Gilchrist was handed his full debut. Golding, 17, was named on the bench alongside Dylan Williams and Deivid Washington, two players from the U-21s.

Golding was summoned in the 89th minute to replace Enzo Fernandez, and the youngster nearly had a debut to remember. After a neat flick round the corner to start an attack, he almost fired home a debut goal within seconds of his introduction.

Golding uploaded a post on Instagram after his debut with the caption:

"Proud moment to make my debut for @chelseafc 💙 Thanks to all the coaches and fans for their faith in me. Only the start.🙏🏽"

Reece James and Ben Chilwell, two of the senior players in the squad, shared his post on their stories and encouraged the England U-17 international.

James wrote:

"Happy for you lil bro 💙 @michaelgolding8"

Chilwell wrote:

"Congratulations geez, first of many here💙 @michaelgolding8"

Michael Golding became the 798th player to debut for Chelsea in the club's history, following in the footsteps of Gilchrist. The teenage star is very highly rated within the club, as he has been a Blue since the age of 11.

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Chelsea show quality to reach FA Cup Round Four

Before kick-off, only the most skeptical fans would have thought Preston North End could spring an upset against Chelsea. Forty-five minutes into the encounter, however, the possibility of its occurrence was becoming greater and greater, as the Blues looked clueless.

The first half was been sterile from a Chelsea attacking point of view as it ended goalless. However, the second half was anything but, as the Blues blew their opponents away. Goals from Armando Broja (58'), Thiago Silva (66'), Raheem Sterling (69'), and Enzo Fernandez (85') gave them what turned out to be a routine win.

Pochettino's men made light work of their Championship opposition to book their passage into the fourth round of the FA Cup this season. They have more cup action coming up when they face Middlesborough away in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semifinals on Tuesday, January 9.

With three wins on the spin and four wins in their last five games across competitions, it's safe to say Chelsea look the part once more. The Blues have had too many false dawns in the last 18 months and will be looking for some consistency in their showings.