Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour has spoken about the “unbelievable experience” of playing in Euro 2020 after his tournament was cut short due to a positive Covid-19 test on Monday.
Gilmour has enjoyed two promising years at Chelsea since he broke into the first team under Frank Lampard’s stewardship during the 2019/20 season.
The talented starlet has showcased his superb technical ability when called upon, combining a rare blend of excellent vision with an astute reading of the game, two attributes which have helped earn him 22 appearances for the Blues, an impressive number for a 20-year-old that is vying with the likes of N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic for two midfield spots.
Gilmour’s notable displays also earned him a place in Scotland’s European Championships squad, despite having never featured for The Tartan Army before this month.
The diminutive playmaker impressed off the bench in pre-tournament friendlies against the Netherlands and Luxembourg before finding himself as an unused substitute in Scotland’s 2-0 defeat to the Czech Republic in their Euro 2020 opener.
Things changed when Steve Clarke’s side travelled to Wembley to take on England last Friday as Gilmour was handed his first start on the international stage, an opportunity he seized with both hands.
The talented midfielder was hugely impressive throughout the contest, picking up pockets of space in between the lines, earning himself the man of the match reward in a goalless affair.
However, things took a turn for the worse on Monday when he was ordered to self-isolate for a minimum of ten days after testing positive for Covid-19, ruling him out of The Tartan Army’s must-win final group game Croatia, a match they ultimately lost 3-1.
Despite his country’s disappointing end to the tournament, Gilmour admitted that it was an ‘unbelievable experience’ to be involved in such a large-scale tournament
“Unbelievable experience to play in my first major international tournament over the past couple of weeks”, he posted on his Instagram page.
“On a personal note, gutted to miss out on our final game due to Covid – thank you for all your messages.
“We hope this is the first of many major international tournaments over the coming years…Yous all deserve it and we hope to make you proud in the future. Thank you Scotland.”
If Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is unable to guarantee Gilmour considerable minutes ahead of next season, the Scot may seek a loan move away from Stamford Bridge, with newly-promoted Norwich City interested, according to The Athletic.
The Canaries are reportedly keen on the talented youngster and may attempt to lure him to Carrow Road for a year as they look to strengthen their midfield before the start of the 2021/22 campaign.