Chelsea youngster Billy Gilmour's former mentors are delighted for the Scot over his Premier League breakthrough.

Ross Allan was Gilmour's PE teacher for three years at Grange Academy in Kilmarnock.

He told the London Evening Standard: “Billy is the perfect example of having the blend of hard work and talent.

“He was a very polite, honest young man, but what shone through straight away was this desire to be the absolute best that he could be. It didn't matter whether it was football, badminton or rugby, he just wanted to learn. If he was doing science, he wanted his experiment to be the best.

“He is never going to let his size be any sort of barrier. He sees it as an opportunity to maybe see the game faster, think faster than others. He uses his other attributes — raw determination and a clever brain — to rise above everyone."

Allan added: “The family are excellent.

“They are all very down-to-earth people. His dad would always say school has to come first because you're one injury away from football being over. They really instilled that in him. He's a really grounded boy."