Islam Feruz - Chelsea's next big thing?

Chelsea youngster Islam Feruz had joined Chelsea in September 2011 due to a contract rift between him and his previous club Celtic. He has been a regular in the Club’s Youth Team and has also been a prominent name on the score-sheet. The Londoners picked him up at a bargain price of £300k. It’s not always that Chelsea pick up a youngster at £300k and it is considered to be a bargain.

Last season, he finished as the Youth Team’s highest goal scorer. His partnership with Lucas Piazon, another Chelsea prospect, has been one of the main reasons for his goal scoring record and the team’s recent successes. Piazon plays just behind Feruz and feeds him the ball. He was also the highest scorer during Chelsea’s run in the 2011-12 FA Youth Cup,which they eventually won against Blackburn Rovers.

He has already been dubbed the ‘next Rooney’ due to his playing style which, is quite similar to the United No. 10. He is also a player who will work for the ball if he doesn’t get favourable service (just like Rooney) and he might not be as popular as Rooney was at the age of 16, but just like him, he has created a reputation of his own at such a young age.

He has scored 12 goals for the youth team in 21 matches. He is also a Scottish International, having represented them at Under-16, Under-17, Under-20 and Under-21 levels.

Can Feruz be as good as Rooney or even half as good as him? Well, that is a question which can only be answered with time. The next few years in his development will be crucial for his career. He will probably see out his 2-year youth scholarship contract with the Youth team (which ends in 2013-14) and then be loaned out. If Feruz gets oppurtunities in the first team, he might become a very valuable player for Chelsea.

And due to the imminent implementation of FFP rules, teams will havfe to bank on their youth system to produce a few quality players.