Chelsea’s Jamal Blackman: How is he getting on in the EFL? Has he got a future at the club? | OneFootball

Chelsea are a club that can genuinely boast about having one of the best youth set-ups in world football.

The club are renowned for developing young players and affording them the opportunity to go out and gain first team football in England and all over Europe as they look to establish a career at the highest level possible.

Only a handful of players ultimately make it into the Blues’ first team set-up, but few can argue with the support that their young players are getting.

One man who is a regular feature in Chelsea’s loan merry-go-round is Jamal Blackman.

The goalkeeper joined the Blues as a 13-year-old and has been linked with the Premier League giants ever since.

Amazingly, he’s yet to make a first team appearance for the club.

Over the years he’s spent time on loan with Middlesbrough, Ostersund, Wycombe Wanderers, Sheffield United, Leeds United, Vitesse and Bristol Rovers while this term has brought a fresh challenge.

Blackman completed a loan switch to Championship club Rotherham United last summer and has barely looked back.

Since moving to the club the stopper has established himself as the Millers’ first choice goalkeeper having made 22 appearances in all competitions and conceding 33 goals.

Quiz: Did each of these 18 ex-Rotherham United players ever score a goal at New York Stadium?

Rotherham are firmly embroiled in a relegation battle at the bottom of the Championship and there’s no doubt that Blackman will play a key role in helping the club as they look to beat the drop.

But for the keeper there’s more at stake.

Now 27 years of age, Blackman is out of contract at Stamford Bridge this summer and with a lack of first team football available it seems likely that he could be allowed to move on.

There’s no doubt that the goalkeeper has the experience required to earn a new deal elsewhere but Blackman will be hoping to put in some good displays for Rotherham this term in order to help him attract the best offer possible come the summer.