Samuel Iling-Junior has made his senior Juventus debut - more than two years after the Old Lady successfully tempted him to leave Chelsea.
The England Under-19 international is one of many stellar talents to come out of the Blues academy but gain vital experience elsewhere after finding options limited at Stamford Bridge. Iling-Junior could join the likes of Fikayo Tomori, Tammy Abraham, Jamal Musiala and Marc Guehi as players many could go on to claim Chelsea should have made more of an effort to keep.
Juventus ' most recent outing saw them make light work of Empoli at home as they ran out 4-0 winners courtesy of goals from Moise Kean, Weston McKennie and a late brace from former Manchester United target Adrien Rabiot.
With the clock nearing the 85th minute and the Bianconeri already three goals to the good, boss Massimiliano Allegri took the opportunity to hand Iling-Junior his first taste of senior Serie A football. The young forward replaced Filip Kostic with five minutes plus stoppage time still to play.
Chelsea were keen on trying to keep Iling-Junior in west London, but the bright lights of Turin prompted a brave decision to test himself in a new country with a new team. With that being said, it was clearly not a decision he took lightly and the winger certainly seems to still harbour some affection for the Blues.
Iling-Junior's statement confirming his Chelsea departure was a heartfelt one, posted back in 2020 on Instagram he wrote: "Full of vast emotions, being at Chelsea from such a young age has truly built me, not only as the player I am today but also as a person.
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"It’s been a blessed journey and I’m deeply thankful for all those in the Academy. From the groundsmen, kitchen staff, players, coaches, the list goes on.
"I would also like to give thanks to the people around me, my family and friends who have consistently supported me. This is just the start."
Iling-Junior's desire to reach the top is what seems to have impressed Juventus coaches the most, with the wide-forward hiring a language teacher to help better his grasp of Italian when he first arrived in the country. He also organised private training sessions with a personal trainer to keep his fitness levels up while visiting friends and family back in London.
Initially starting out as a left-back, Iling-Junior's versatility is such an asset as he can now be deployed as a number 10, a winger on either flank and even as a central striker and be trusted to deliver at the highest level.
