I coached Chelsea's academy – ex-kid might have been world class underneath Poch

AT CHELSEA Dominic Solanke grew to become one of many hottest younger abilities in world soccer.

Now, six years after his controversial exit from Stamford Bridge, the Bournemouth striker intends to point out the Blues what they’re lacking on the Vitality Stadium at this time.

And Solanke’s former academy coach Adi Viveash is delighted.

Viveash, now assistant to Coventry boss Mark Robins, stated: “Once I look again on my decade at Chelsea, I’m nonetheless extraordinarily disillusioned that gamers who, for my part, had been undoubtedly ok, didn’t come by way of — and he’s considered one of them.

“At youth stage, he was world class, phenomenal. I’m delighted to see what he’s doing now, as a result of his  expertise needs to be on the highest stage.

“I’m positive he appears again with quite a lot of delight on his time at Chelsea.

“I do know he holds no grudges and respects the years of dedication from an incredible academy.

“But he will want to score and do well in this game.”

Viveash drove a seven-year-old Solanke from Basingstoke to coaching and later was coach of Chelsea youth groups the ahead spearheaded to home and European glory.

In 2014, Solanke scored two late targets within the second leg of the FA Youth Cup closing towards Fulham to earn a 7-6 mixture win. Viveash stated: “Within the first leg we misplaced 3-2 and he didn’t have a sniff.

“We had one other couple of fine strikers on the bench.

“But he had always done it in the big games, I trusted my gut, and he was always the go-to player for me.”

Then-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho claimed if Solanke and team-mates Izzy Brown and Lewis Baker didn’t turn out to be Blues and England stars, the Particular One can be accountable.

Weeks later Solanke completed joint high scorer on the European Below-17 Championship, grabbing targets within the semi-final and closing as John Peacock’s crew lifted the trophy.

The next season, Solanke helped Chelsea retain the Youth Cup and contributed 12 targets of their Uefa Youth League title triumph.

Viveash stated: “He destroyed teams at that level, even the best in Europe. For somebody so young to be doing that against players three or four years older was remarkable.”

Solanke made his first-team debut as a sub in a 6-0 Champions League win over Maribor in October 2014.

However after spending 2015-16 on mortgage at Vitesse Arnhem — throughout which Mourinho was sacked —  issues turned bitter.

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Solanke was frozen out in a stand-off over a brand new contract and Viveash stated: “He was portrayed actually badly by way of that interval however that definitely wasn’t him.

“When you’ll be able to’t see pathways and also you’re that good as a younger participant, you’re feeling your future lies elsewhere.

“All this rubbish around money was unfair on him and his family.
“Players of that level demand a certain level of contract, he’s no  different to anyone else.”

If that row and his impending transfer to Liverpool had been preying on Solanke’s thoughts, he didn’t present it.

He scored 4 instances as England received the 2017 Fifa Below-20 World Cup and earned the Golden Ball because the event’s greatest participant, a gong  beforehand given to Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Paul Pogba.

Andy Edwards, now an assistant coach of Three Lions youth groups, stated: “His targets and performances throughout the event had been high finish.

“He was quiet however I all the time felt he had actual self-belief.

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“There was a confidence in the way he carried himself.”

However these qualities have been examined since.

Issues didn’t work out at Liverpool and he didn’t set the world alight as his first 18 months at Bournemouth led to relegation to the Championship.

However he rediscovered his type, with 29 targets within the Cherries’ 2021-22 promotion marketing campaign.

After taking part in his half within the membership’s survival final season, Solanke has began this marketing campaign with two targets and an help in 4 video games.

Viveash stated: “His exit from  Chelsea would have been tough for anyone to deal with.

“He has come through mentally stronger and rebuilt himself.
“Bournemouth deserve great credit. He is their go-to man, like he was for me at youth level.”

Regardless of spending greater than £1billion on gamers in simply over a yr, Solanke’s outdated crew Chelsea go into at this time’s recreation struggling for targets underneath Mauricio Pochettino.

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Viveash (beneath) stated: “An English striker, of his age, with these Premier League video games underneath his belt — trying on the groups Mr Pochettino picks, I’m positive he would fairly like him.

“I’d like to see Dom rating  and get a constructive consequence — simply  for him, not another purpose.

“He’s solely the place he needs to be, with the expertise he has.

“He’s still not hit his prime.”