'Agents and parents' are ruining teenage players, says Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho

Portuguese says they are the most difficult thing in bringing players throgh

Tom Sheen
Monday 18 May 2015 08:15 BST
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Mourinho speaks with Loftus-Cheek before he came on
Mourinho speaks with Loftus-Cheek before he came on (GETTY IMAGES)

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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has blamed greedy agents and pushy parents for ruining the careers of young players.

With the Premier League season over and a title in the bag, Jose Mourinho will continue to give his young stars a chance when the Blues visit West Brom.

Last week 19-year-old Ruben Loftus-Cheek started against Liverpool and at The Hawthorns the Portuguese has said that he will start again with fellow youngsters Isaiah Brown (18) and Nathan Ake (20) also to feature.

Mourinho has said that next season he will include his young stars more often, but believes agents and parents stunt development.

"The most difficult thing in bringing a teenage player through? In modern football, the agents and the parents," said Mourinho.

"When the players are almost there and in the process of being almost there, they (parents and agents) think they are already there.

"They make the players think they have arrived when they haven’t. They think about money before the career starts, and everything gets very confused.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek will again start against West Brom after starting against Liverpool
Ruben Loftus-Cheek will again start against West Brom after starting against Liverpool (GETTY IMAGES)

"That doesn’t help the players. They need stability. It’s not the case, but imagine Ruben’s family or agent pushing the kid to go.

"Saying: 'The kid has to go on loan', imagine that picture. That’s not what he needs. In this moment, he needs stability.

"He played against Liverpool. He’s going to play against West Bromwich. Next season he starts with us and is stable because he’s part of the squad.

"He’s not trying to win a position in it. He’s part of it. He’s not going on loan and knows that. They need that kind of stability, unless they play in very small clubs when, at 17 or 18, they go direct in the first team.

"But to be in a big team and reach the level to be playing regularly for the first team, you need time and stability. We try to give that to our boys."

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