Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson has heaped praise on youngster Reggie Walsh, who made his first-team debut for the club against Djurgarden in the semifinal of the UEFA Conference League.
The Blues beat the Swedish side by a comprehensive scoreline of 4-1, with Jadon Sancho, Noni Madueke, and Nicolas Jackson all finding the back of the net to give the English giants a major advantage ahead of the return leg at Stamford Bridge next week.
But it was an even more special night for Chelsea’s academy graduate, Reggie Walsh, who came on to make his first-team debut towards the end of the game.
In the process, he became the joint third-youngest player to play for the Blues. What’s more, he almost had a dream debut as the 16-year-old midfielder nearly scored with his first touch in senior football when he fired a shot from distance which stung the gloves of the goalkeeper.
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s star of the night was impressed with Walsh’s performance and was quick to heap praise on the youngster.
Speaking after the game, Jackson told TNT Sports 4, “Yeah, he’s a very good player. Top quality. For sure, he’s going to go far. He has a lot of quality. I’m very happy for him to make his debut. I hope for more to come for him.”
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The rise and rise of Reggie Walsh
Though Walsh has been a regular feature in Chelsea’s under-18s team during the 2024/25 campaign, he was drafted into the senior team only in March this year.
However, the Englishman has impressed the Chelsea staff with his performances in training and was handed his debut yesterday by manager Enzo Maresca.
Maresca, too, deserves a lot of credit for handing Walsh his debut last night. Though Chelsea are loaded with stars in their squad, he has tried to give academy players a chance whenever possible.
