Former Chelsea starlet who was once mentored by Frank Lampard leaves SEVENTH-tier side before joining new team – and playing for them – just a day later

A former Chelsea starlet who was given his debut by Jose Mourinho and mentored by Frank Lampard has been released by a seventh-tier side.

In 2007, Mourinho made him the fourth youngest player in the club’s history when he replaced Ashley Cole during an FA Cup tie against Macclesfield aged 16 years and 275 days.

The York-born midfielder made headlines in 2006 when Chelsea were accused by Leeds of ‘tapping up’ him and team-mate Tom Taiwo. A £5million compensation payment was agreed out of court.

He left Chelsea, though, in 2011, just short of being a member of the squad that would lift the Champions League a year later. From then on, he would become a bit of a journeyman, featuring for the likes of Harrogate Town, Hartlepool United and Dover Athletic before eventually ending up at Blyth Spartans in the seventh-tier.

The now-34-year-old spent six months with the club, but a statement released on Monday explained that he had left – and he then joined National League North side Scarborough Athletic.

Michael Woods is the man in question, who was once a prospect at Chelsea with a serious injury hampering his career before he fell down the leagues.

A Spartans statement read on Monday: ‘Woods arrived at Spartans this summer after two years at South Shields, and made 15 appearances for Blyth this season scoring once – a late equaliser away to Ashton United on the opening day of the season.

‘The club thanks Michael for his efforts and wishes him well in the next stage of his career.’

Scarborough – who beat Brackley Town 2-1 on Tuesday night – posted on Tuesday: ‘We are pleased to announce the signing of experienced midfielder, Michael Woods, following his departure from Blyth Spartans.

‘The 34-year-old midfielder will add experience to the side, following a lengthy career in the EFL and non-league, with former clubs including Harrogate Town, Hartlepool United, Dover Athletic, York City and South Shields.’

He played 63 minutes for his new club on the day he joined them in their league win in the sixth-tier. 

During his time at Chelsea, Lampard – his mentor and idol – talked of Woods being his heir apparent at Stamford Bridge. The fans had taken to Woods, too. On the day of his debut, the £90-per-week scholar paid £4.50 for a ticket to travel via train and tube from his digs in Oxshott, Surrey to the game.

‘I’d gone there before the game in my Chelsea tracksuit but no-one bothered me,’ the then-25-year-old told Mail Sport in 2015. ‘Then you make your debut and things change.’

Damaged knee ligaments followed by a dislocated ankle, though, robbed him of four years of his promising career.

‘It was hell, absolute hell, but I don’t regret joining Chelsea, not for one minute,’ he said. ‘At 15 I knew the likes of Man United were interested but then we found out that Chelsea were very serious. It all got a bit messy with the tribunal.

‘I went down and met Mourinho, but the biggest influence was Brendan Rodgers (youth-team boss). You could see straight away he would go on to bigger things.

‘I remember Mourinho said to me, “I like you, you’re going to be with me”. He made you feel incredible and want to play for him.

‘Frank took me under his wing as well. Anything he did I copied – what he did in the gym, what he ate, how many sugars in his tea – everything. I was fascinated by him.’ Lampard and the likes of Didier Drogba and John Terry paid for Woods to take his driving lessons when he was 17.

Chelsea offered Woods a contract extension in 2011 but the mental scars were too severe to remain at the club.

For another three years he bounced from trial to trial– winning short-term deals at Yeovil and Doncaster – before he took the decision to drop down to Harrogate Town of the Conference North in 2013.

‘I just wanted to see if I could play week in, week out,’ he said. ‘I suddenly rediscovered my love for the game.’

He did, and is still going strong nearly 10 years on. His future, for now at least, lays in the National League North with 15th-place Scarborough.