Chelsea youngster tipped as future England star

The Reading boss Brendan Rodgers, who used to be a coach at Chelsea, is full of praise for the on-loan Chelsea youngster Ryan Bertrand, who has become a fans favourite at the Madjeski Stadium.

Bertrand’s performances for Reading this season has earned him a place in Stuart Pearce’s England U21 side, and he was impressive in the recent 1-0 against Portugal, which has put England in pole position to qualify for the European Championship Finals.

Rodgers said: “He’s going to be a top talent.

“He’s one of the few left-sided players who is good defensively and can go forward.

“He played well in the game against Portugal and in the qualifier against Lithuania.

“I know what he can do and he’s been a big hit with the supporters here and they really like him because he’s 100-per-cent committed and is a big possibility for the future.

“He loves it here and he feels really at home and he’s got a manager who supports him 100 per cent.”

High praise indeed for Bertrand, and maybe he can become the first home-grown defender to break into the Chelsea first team since John Terry.