10 Things You Should Know About Ruben Loftus-Cheek

The man with the best name in English football is about to become the Premier League's next big thing.

Dec 11, 2014
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Image via Complex UK

rlc

Image via Complex UK

Jose Mourinho offered Chelsea fans a glimpse into the club's future with the debut of midfield powerhouse Ruben Loftus-Cheek against Sporting Lisbon in last night's round of Champions League fixtures.

In the same week that Manchester City unveiled a £200 million training academy that promises to transform the potential of their youth team, Chelsea gave us an even greater sense of what English football could look forward to. Loftus-Cheek is set to become the first homegrown player to be a regular in Chelsea's first team since 2000 and with Mourinho's backing, we should know Ruben ain't no joke.

The man with the best name in English football is about to become the Premier League's next big thing. Here's 10 things you should know about Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

1. He was playing for Chelsea U18s when he was just 14-years-old

2. He captained Chelsea to victory in the 2014 FA Youth Cup

Image via Wikipedia

Despite interest from Championship clubs before the start of the 2013-14 season, Loftus-Cheek opted to stay at Stamford Bridge and split his time between the U18s and U21s. He was rewarded for that decision when he captained Chelsea to glory in the 2014 FA Youth Cup, defeating Fulham 7-6 on aggregate . The victory was extra sweet for the skipper, who had been on the losing Chelsea side in 2013.

3. He's a lock for future England captain

Image via Instagram

The FA are so impressed by Ruben Loftus-Cheek that they've even put him on the walls of St. George's Park. The youngster has been highlighted as one of England's next big hopes in central midfield, where there's certainly room for a powerhouse following the retirements of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. Loftus-Cheek has captained England at youth level and scored six goals in just 10 games for England U19s.

4. His playing style has been compared to Patrick Vieira

While those at Chelsea have been labelling Loftus-Cheek as the club's new John Terry, in terms of playing style, he's a lot closer to a bulldozing midfielder like Patrick Vieira.

His FA.com bio says it better than we ever could:


"At 6ft 4in tall, Loftus-Cheek is hard to miss. A towering, physically imposing box-to-box midfielder, he has the rare combination of power and elegance in possession and the ability to pick a pass or put in a tackle. A genuine all-rounder."

5. Barcelona tried to sign him in 2012

6. He wants to be the first homegrown player in Chelsea's senior squad since John Terry

Image via Wikipedia

If there's one blip on Jose Mourinho's managerial record it's that his cabinet full of trophies has come at the expense of developing homegrown talents at his previous clubs. Mourinho is making an effort to create a legacy in his second spell at Chelsea and Ruben Loftus-Cheek is the poster boy of Mourinho's youth movement. There hasn't been a successful graduate from Chelsea's academy since John Terry broke through the ranks 14 years ago.

We're not counting Josh McEachran's 11 Chelsea appearances as a senior breakthrough.

7. He was earning £1.7 million at just 17-years-old

Image via Instagram

Chelsea's contract offer to Ruben Loftus-Cheek in 2013 sparked tabloid outrage. According to The Mirror, Chelsea offered the 17-year-old a contract that would see him bank £1.7 million before his teenage years ended. Cue an opinion piece cursing modern football from 'everyman' Ian Holloway.

8. He's pretty underrated on FIFA 15

Ruben Loftus-Cheek may be considered good enough for Champions League football by Jose Mourinho but if you're an armchair manager starting a career mode on FIFA 15, steer clear of the West London wonder kid. His overall rating of 56 will grow to a respectable 76 but in real life, we'd hope he can get a lot better than that.

9. If he wasn't a footballer, he'd be a YouTuber

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In an alternate universe, Loftus-Cheek could be a star YouTuber that's just released the fastest-selling debut novel in British history. Well, not quite. But he did start a YouTube channel for a hot minute that saw him playing keepy-ups with a ball of socks and setting up a DIY FIFA 15 skill game in his garden. Unfortunately, the channel hasn't been touched in a year.

10. He's a sneakerhead

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