Rangers agree deal to sell Billy Gilmour to Chelsea: The fee could reach £600,000

[alexscottislegend 2,070]

This is a no brainer. Sell the boy, take the money.

 

Wonder-kids are rarely ever all they are cracked up to be. For every one Billy Gilmore, John Fleck, Danny Wilson, etc, who have been the next big thing, there's an under the radar success like Barry Ferguson or Shagger. But more importantly, there are hundreds from that level who don't become the next Messi or Rooney.

 

From the RFC website: Lewis McLeod, Fraser Aird, Barrie McKay, Chris Hegarty, Robbie Crawford, Rhys McCabe, Andy Mitchell, Kane Hemmings, Thomas Kind Bendiksen, Ross Perry, Darren Cole, Jamie Ness, Kyle Hutton, Gregg Wylde, Andrew Little, Jordan McMillan, Andrew Murdoch, Tom Walsh, Danny Stoney, Luca Gasporrotto, Kyle MacAusland, Scott Gallacher, Calum Gallagher, Charlie Telfer and Ryan Hardie.

 

I wish it were that simple. but how are we ever gonna stuff our team with home grown products if we do this?

[JohnMc 2,473]

The nurturing and developing of talented footballers isn't actually something us, or anyone else in Scotland, has done particularly well in recent years. I don't want the lad to leave, but being brilliant at 15 means very little if history is any judge. I imagine if he was leaving to join Southampton or Spurs you could see the logic, both clubs have a good recent record developing top flight players, but to join Chelsea is clearly all about chasing money. If that's his mindset at 15 and that's the parental advice he's getting then we might be better without him.

 

Football isn't just about ability, it's about mentality too. That this is even a discussion being had in his home suggests he has the former but perhaps not the latter.

 

I read a great article about late developers recently. Ed Smith was a professional cricketer and although his piece is largely about rugby it's equally relevant to football. http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/sport/2017/03/praise-late-developer

Professional football clubs shouldn't be allowed anywhere near children. No one suggests the kid who is best at Maths should spend five hours a week at PWC or the kid who excels in English should do a couple of shifts at the Herald during the week. It's madness, the whole structure of football needs to change, it needs re-thought and rebuilt. Gilmour clearly has ability, but he's 15 years old. We shouldn't even know his name yet, he should be playing with his school and Ayrshire schools and enjoying his football against boys his own age, he even looks like a child.

[Barebear 37]

I wish it were that simple. but how are we ever gonna stuff our team with home grown products if we do this?

 

Only one thing will keep these kinds of boys in our academy, leave the Scottish league. Until then all of our best youths and seniors will get plucked for the going rate.

 

I agree that it would be fantastic to retain the likes of Billy Gilmore but I think it's just not possible when there is the combination of the lure of the EPL for the kid and a windfall for us.

[craig 5,199]

The nurturing and developing of talented footballers isn't actually something us, or anyone else in Scotland, has done particularly well in recent years. I don't want the lad to leave, but being brilliant at 15 means very little if history is any judge. I imagine if he was leaving to join Southampton or Spurs you could see the logic, both clubs have a good recent record developing top flight players, but to join Chelsea is clearly all about chasing money. If that's his mindset at 15 and that's the parental advice he's getting then we might be better without him.

 

Football isn't just about ability, it's about mentality too. That this is even a discussion being had in his home suggests he has the former but perhaps not the latter.

 

I read a great article about late developers recently. Ed Smith was a professional cricketer and although his piece is largely about rugby it's equally relevant to football. http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/sport/2017/03/praise-late-developer

Professional football clubs shouldn't be allowed anywhere near children. No one suggests the kid who is best at Maths should spend five hours a week at PWC or the kid who excels in English should do a couple of shifts at the Herald during the week. It's madness, the whole structure of football needs to change, it needs re-thought and rebuilt. Gilmour clearly has ability, but he's 15 years old. We shouldn't even know his name yet, he should be playing with his school and Ayrshire schools and enjoying his football against boys his own age, he even looks like a child.

 

He is, he helped Grange Academy to the Scottish schools final

 

He does indeed look very small, even for his age. Not so sure I agree about pro clubs not being anywhere near kids. Where I would have more of an issue is the standard of pro coaches at the youth age groups. There is a very real reason why Spain have done so well over the last few years - the vast majority of their UEFA A license coaches work with young kids whilst in the UK the vast majority of A licensed coaches work with adults. Which system makes more sense ? Have your best coaches work with kids that can be coached, nurtured and developed ? Or have them work with adults where they have developed as much as they will.

 

I dont have an issue with kids going to pro clubs, but only if they get the best level of coaching available to them.

 

It is very, very easy for us all to sit here and pontificate about how he shouldn't be taking the money - but I know that if it were my son and he was being offered ridiculous money to go to a big club that it would be very difficult to turn down. A nasty injury is a career ender, no matter your age - it is not as easy a decision to take as we all think. Plus, whilst we all talk about how he would be better served with us and we talk about ability AND mentality - who is to say he doesn't have the mentality ? Who is to say that the kid doesn't truly believe he is good enough to be playing 1st team football for Chelsea at the age of 16 or 17.

 

I think we are all looking at this through our own perspective a little bit and not considering just what his and his family's mentality might be. You cant just assume he is thinking about the money and not the development.

[Uilleam 5,440]

I think that the glory left the game some time ago, more's the pity.

[Gaffer 1,665]

Whatever Billy decides to do, he deserves credit and congratulations for having the skills which have attracted attention from so many clubs. Well done young man and hopefully it serves as an incentive to others.

 

If we hold on to him then that's just brilliant. If we don't, I'm sure we will all wish him the very best of fortunes at his new club. Decisions like these are difficult, but it's much better to have these decisions to make, than not. It's better to train people well and have them leave, rather than not train them well and have them stay. That applies in all professions, not just football. I'd hope that more of our youth players in future will have similar decisions to make. That will surely be a sign of an effective youth development programme.

 

I've already said that I'd want my son to have the best opportunities to develop into a top player and I'd encourage him to make his decisions based on that rather than anything financial at this stage. I'm sure that'll be the basis of any decision they make and wish the family good luck whatever the decision.

[ian1964 10,418]

The lad is only a prospect!, 15/16 years old!,It doesn't matter how good a player is at 15/16, its no guarantee that they will make it as a top professional. Youth development is a lottery.

Charlie Telfer was the last ''wonder kid''

[SteveC 150]

Hell, no a thousand times no. We are not a feeder club for any one. I dont care how much money is offered, we need a proper youth policy. Why the hell would he want to sink in the morass of Chelsea's bloated youth system? Look at Islam Feruz. Say no more.

In the meantime we become a club with no heart, a team of guest players, or loan players just like MW tried to turn us into.

 

Unfortunately I think that is the best future we can hope for and it is what King has positioned us as. the idea is to bring in or bring up young players, get a few years from them and sell them on. As in you know who being Southampton's feeder club and they in turn being Liverpool's. it's the modern fitba world, alas. Top in Scotland = feeder club to small English clubs = in turn feeder to top dogs,

[JohnMc 2,473]

He is, he helped Grange Academy to the Scottish schools final

 

He does indeed look very small, even for his age. Not so sure I agree about pro clubs not being anywhere near kids. Where I would have more of an issue is the standard of pro coaches at the youth age groups. There is a very real reason why Spain have done so well over the last few years - the vast majority of their UEFA A license coaches work with young kids whilst in the UK the vast majority of A licensed coaches work with adults. Which system makes more sense ? Have your best coaches work with kids that can be coached, nurtured and developed ? Or have them work with adults where they have developed as much as they will.

 

I dont have an issue with kids going to pro clubs, but only if they get the best level of coaching available to them.

 

It is very, very easy for us all to sit here and pontificate about how he shouldn't be taking the money - but I know that if it were my son and he was being offered ridiculous money to go to a big club that it would be very difficult to turn down. A nasty injury is a career ender, no matter your age - it is not as easy a decision to take as we all think. Plus, whilst we all talk about how he would be better served with us and we talk about ability AND mentality - who is to say he doesn't have the mentality ? Who is to say that the kid doesn't truly believe he is good enough to be playing 1st team football for Chelsea at the age of 16 or 17.

 

I think we are all looking at this through our own perspective a little bit and not considering just what his and his family's mentality might be. You cant just assume he is thinking about the money and not the development.

 

I do have an issue with kids going to pro-clubs. The churn rate of boys is appalling, the number who simply drop out wouldn't be tolerated in any other profession. Professional football clubs are by and large poorly run, with erratic football cultures, short-termism and self interest embedded in their DNA. They are no place for children.

 

I also don't buy into this not being an easy decision because of the money. The boy's from Ayrshire, not a shanty town on the edge of Brazzaville. He already has a comfortable life in one of the wealthiest, Western liberal democracies in the world. I mean let's get some perspective here, if he doesn't make it in football there are still thousands of opportunities open to him.

 

As for the mentality, he may well believe he can be a world beater, maybe his parents too, and maybe they are correct. But Rangers have helped get him where he is now and some degree of loyalty isn't too much to ask. And if for any reason they don't want to stay at Rangers then Chelsea is a bizarre choice of club to join. They've literally not produced a first team player from their own ranks since John Terry. They'll had 3 managers by the time the lad turns 18.

 

I agree with you about the coaches though!

[colinstein 294]

If the boy gets offered big money, especially an up front sum, then he's got to take it.

what would a signing on fee be?

300K...400k ........he'd take it because you never know what's round the corner

quite right too.........

but London would be shite for a young lad