Ruben Loftus Cheek – What’s Next For The Young Midfielder Who Took An Unfamiliar Path to Russia?

When Ali came off against Tunisia on Monday night with a knock, many England fans did not break a sweat as the country has confidence in his replacement, Ruben Loftus-Cheek who has taken an unusual route in becoming England’s hidden gem. 

When Ruben Loftus-Cheek joined Crystal Palace on loan at the start of the season, I am sure that he did not expect to be picked in the 23-man England squad that would be flying out to Russia the following summer. Since then, he won a Man of the Match award against World Champions, Germany in November, made his World Cup debut against Tunisia and is heading to start in replace of star-man Dele Ali on Sunday in Novgorod.

After England announced that Dele Ali suffered a quad strain on Monday, Loftus Cheek is almost certain to be in the starting-XI that takes on Panama and I am sure he will be determined to recreate the form that he showcased against Tunisia. When he came on late in the second-half against Tunisia he became the focal point of England’s attack as he injected some well-needed energy into a tiring midfield. He beat players by using his athleticism and technical ability while also showing that he can spilt defenses with a clever final pass.

With Ali having more experience by having three good seasons at Tottenham, he was always going to be a starter against Tunisia. However, there is a sense of calmness in the media and public around Ali’s injury as his replacement has shown that he can fill the boots of a player who has been involved in 63 goals in only 106 Premier League appearances. 

Despite Gareth Southgate and the country having faith in the 22-year old, he has limited opportunities at his parent club, Chelsea. Since his debut in 2015 he as made only 31 appearances for the London club, with 19 of them coming on as substitute.,“Ever since I was in the Chelsea academy, people were saying I would be the first one to breakthrough since JT, I believed I could, but the opportunities didn’t quite come for me,” he said yesterday in a press conference. 

The midfielder knows that to keep shining at the highest level he needs to be playing regular football at club level, “that’s key for me next season, regarding where I end up. I went to play”. This state of intent by Loftus-Cheek is a warning to Chelsea that if he doesn’t get any opportunities at Chelsea the following season he will seek them elsewhere. 

The young midfielder has become an example to other young English players whose development is being limited by the ambitions of their club. He has shown that going out on loan creates another pathway for them to take and reach their potential. However, I am sure that if he performs well on Sunday other big Premier League clubs will be monitoring his situation at Chelsea and will be hoping to sign a man who has shown so much potential with such little opportunity.