Hartlepool United goalkeeper Ben Killip refleacts on 'unbelievable' academy years at Chelsea playing alongside Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Nathan Ake and Andreas Christiansen
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The 25-year-old joined his boyhood club as a six-year-old, progressing through the ranks before moving to Norwich City at 18.
Since then, Killip has spent time at Grimsby Town and Braintree before joining Pools in the summer of 2019. He is set to make his 50th appearance for the club at Weymouth this Saturday (3pm kick-off).
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Hide AdDespite a tricky start to his career at Victoria Park, Killip has always managed to bounce back from set-backs and has been one of the side’s most consistent performers so far this season.
But the goalkeeper points to his time spent at Chelsea’s academy as a period that helped shape him into the player he is today.
“It was one of the best academies in the world," he told BBC Radio Tees Sport.
“I played with some ridiculously good players who are still at the top level now. There was Ruben Loftus-Cheek, [Andreas] Christiansen, Nathan Ake who’s at [Manchester] City – they were the best players I played with there.
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Hide Ad“It’s so beneficial playing and training with them everyday and you travel to some amazing places in the world on tours which is a really good life experience.
“The way Chelsea played when I was a kid was all about playing out from the back and having a modern day keeper. That became a big thing and it’s what a lot more managers look for nowadays so it’s helped me that I have had that grounding of doing that style of goalkeeping from a very young age – it was unbelievable for me.”