Chelsea boasts one of the most exceptional youth development systems in England, consistently producing a wealth of talented players who often progress to play for the first team.
Recently, players like Mason Mount, Conor Gallagher, and Reece James have excelled in the Premier League, followed by Gallagher’s transfer to Atletico Madrid.
On the flip side, some do not achieve great success, and in this case, we've examined five former individuals who did not make it big. Chelsea academy players who are now competing in non-league soccer.
Rohan Ince
Paul Ince's nephew and Tom's cousin, Rohan Ince, has participated in international football five times for Montserrat and has also played for several prominent clubs.
He didn't stay long at Chelsea before getting released, but he was soon signed by Brighton, where he remained for five years as they competed in the Championship. During his tenure with the Seagulls, he made 91 appearances and went on loan several times, including a stint with another Championship team, Fulham.
Following his departure from Brighton in 2018, Ince has competed in both League One and League Two matches. At the age of 32, he is now participating in the National League as part of Woking’s team. Simultaneously, his cousin Tom is playing Championship soccer for Watford at the age of 33.
Michael Woods
Originally from York and having started his career in Leeds' youth system, Chelsea identified Woods as a promising talent worth investing in when they paid £150,000 for him during his younger years. Additionally, he was part of the England squad for the Under-20 World Cup in 2009; however, he didn’t get any playing time.
Two years after that incident, the player found himself without a team when Chelsea let him go. He had only been part of the first-team squad on two occasions but did not get to play in either.
Initially selected by Yeovil, he was let go after half a year. Subsequently, a different team from League One, Doncaster Rovers, brought him aboard. Following this stint, Woods experienced non-league football for the first time when he moved freely to Harrogate Town.
{getCard} $type={post} $title={You might like}
He went back to the 92 with Hartlepool, yet he has been involved in non-league football ever since their relegation from League Two during the 2016/17 season. Since then, Woods has represented Harrogate, Dover, York, South Shields, and currently plays for Scarborough.
Alex Kiwomya
Across Chelsea’s under-18, under-21, and youth league teams, Kiwomya made 69 appearances, netting 12 goals and providing seven assists.
Although he didn't play any senior matches, the Blues attempted to unlock his potential by sending him on three loan spells. However, these efforts were unsuccessful. In 2017, he moved to Doncaster Rovers as a free agent, after which he was lent out twice more, this time to teams in the National League: Chesterfield and Chorley.
After initially joining Chesterfield on loan, Kiwomya made the permanent move there a few years later. Following a brief stint in Gibraltar during 2021, he has since been hopping between various clubs in England’s non-league system. At present, he plays for Rylands in the Northern Premier League, which sits two tiers beneath the National League.
Luke McCormick
Midfielder McCormick scored 24 goals and provided 10 assists in 81 matches across under-18, under-21, and youth league teams at Chelsea.
In 33 Premier League 2 matches, McCormick managed to contribute a total of 12 goals, which initially indicated he could potentially make his way into the main squad. However, this expectation did not materialize as anticipated.
Rather than focusing elsewhere, he has predominantly played in League One throughout his career, where he participated in 141 matches and was directly involved in scoring 27 goals during stints with Bristol Rovers and Wimbledon.
Although League One club Rovers still owns him, McCormick is presently on loan in the National League with Forest Green.
Billy Clifford
In the under-21 Premier League for Chelsea in 2013/14, Clifford assisted six goals in five games. Three of those came in one game, in which the Blues’ youngsters decimated Leicester 5-1.
Clifford laid on his three assists in just 45 minutes, having come off the bench, and outshone midfield partner Ruben Loftus-Cheek, while Nathan Ake and Andreas Christensen were also starters.
However, the mentioned threesome moved on to greater successes, whereas Clifford became a free agent two years later. He participated in nearly 75 matches across League One and League Two but descended to non-league competition in the 2018/19 season.
Clifford has represented clubs such as Boreham Wood, Hemel, Billericay, Slough, Wealdstone, Havant, Waterlooville, Ebbsfleet, and currently plays for Barnet, all of which compete outside the league system.