Alfie Gilchrist has penned a new two-year contract with Chelsea. There's an option for a further year.
Speaking with the Blues' media team, the Blues U21 head coach Mark Robinson said about the centre-back: "Every coach has slightly different ideas and the great thing with Alf was he always bought into ideas we brought him or talked to him about. He gave it 100 per cent and you saw his progression.
‘It’s always great to see someone who loves the club as a fan progress. Sometimes when an Academy player steps into a first-team environment, it can be hard to take the same personality across from the Under-21s, where they are one of the older players.
"But what it appears he has managed to do so well is to continue to be that same person, which is great.
"Seeing players like Alfie take their first steps in men's football means everything to all the coaches and the Academy. It’s what it’s all about. It’s quite nerve-wracking but it’s why we do our jobs."
The defender has made 12 appearances across all competitions for the Blues under Mauricio Pochettino this season, although only five of them were starts.
