Ollie Harrison, a young England international, has been officially signed by Chelsea from Newcastle United.
FEATURED VIDEO
As he continues to develop at Stamford Bridge, the gifted kid will initially play for Chelsea’s Under-18s squad. Last weekend, the Blues youth team defeated Crystal Palace 2-1 to kick off their 2023–24 season. Forward Donnell McNeilly scored both goals.
Midfielder Harrison has the chance to make his new team’s debut against Aston Villa Under-18s on Saturday after settling in with the group this week, according to football.london. Harrison, 16, is Chelsea’s most recent young talent to be signed this summer.
The Blues acquired young Brazilian combo Angelo and Andrey Santos, Moises Caicedo, 21, Romeo Lavia, 19, and Lesley Ugochukwu. Todd Boehly, a co-owner, wants the team to keep splurging on talented young players.
On the international scene, Harrison’s outstanding performances for Newcastle’s age-group teams have not gone ignored. He was a vital member of the England Under-16 side that triumphed in the Mondial Montaigu Tournament earlier this year in France.
He made his debut for his country in the Young Lions’ 2-0 group-stage victory over New Caledonia. Harrison was a key contributor to the team’s victories in the penalty shootouts against Japan in the final and Romania in the semifinal, giving England its first victory in the event in eight years.
Reflecting on his experience, Harrison told Newcastle’s club website back in April: “It was my first time away with England for the 50th anniversary of the tournament and it was class to win it, such a big tournament, which we hadn’t done for eight years. It’s something I will remember forever.
“I entered the game for the final 30 minutes against Romania in the semifinals. It came down to penalties, which was a terrifying experience, but I bravely took one and scored, which is something I won’t soon forget. After a protracted shootout that we ultimately won 8-7, we faced Japan in the championship game.
“I started the championship game and finished it, which made me ecstatic. When we won the second penalty shootout, which was a little shorter than the first, the crowd went wild.
“As we’ve seen through the years, it’s not always easy to win on penalties, but to win two shootouts was class. We were extremely confident after winning the first one, which made the victory sweeter.
Harrison recovered from an injury he sustained midway through the previous season. “I just had to work really hard to go back to my best level after my accident,” he continued.
I’ve since played a few games and received the England call-up, which was great. It’s great to be back playing with the under-18s. Going up against older boys is a terrific physical challenge and helps me improve as a player.
