Chelsea reward young starlet Loftus-Cheek with bumper new deal

Chelsea have been criticised for struggling to bring through young talent, but that reputation could soon disappear.

Bertrand Traore has broken into the first-team reckoning this season, scoring his first Premier League goal in the win over Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge, while Traore's team-mate Ruben Loftus-Cheek has also made his mark. And Loftus-Cheek, who scored his first senior goal in the 2-0 FA Cup win over Scunthorpe United, has been rewarded with a new five-year contract. "The club have done so much for me since I started here as an Under-8 and now I want to repay the faith they’ve shown in me with my performances on the pitch," the 20-year-old told the club's official site. Since being given his Chelsea debut by Jose Mourinho in last season's Champions League win over Sporting Lisbon, Loftus-Cheek has gone on to play eight times for the Blues in the Premier League. He has also been given a taste of European action this season, playing 77 minutes in the group stage win over Hapoel Tel-Aviv.