Tyrique George: Chelsea's rangy wonderkid winger with 'talent through the roof' who Jadon Sancho believes has 'the world at his feet'

George was born in London to Nigerian parents in February 2006, although he also has Ghanaian heritage and is eligible to represent both African nations as well as the Three Lions. He grew up in the south of the English capital and attended the Royal Russell School in Croydon.

The teenager has already been with Chelsea for 11 years having joined the club's Under-8s in 2014 after coming through their development programme. A decade of commitment has eventually seen him break into the first-team squad.

George progressed through the age grades at Chelsea - also representing England at youth level - and became an important figure for the Under-18s in 2022-23, aged just 16, making 28 appearances as he punched above his weight.

That campaign proved to be the prelude to an academy season that would thrust George into the first-team picture at Stamford Bridge, although he would still have to be patient for his chance.

Plying his trade with both the U18s and U21s in 2023-24, George scored 20 times and proved to be a creative force too - helping the former to the U18 Premier League title. His catalogue of strikes included sublime long-range rockets against Luton, Crystal Palace and Tottenham, and a sensational last-minute winner against Manchester United. Eight of those efforts came well above his age grade with the U21s, with the winger only turning 18 in February of last season.

George's performances brought him to the attention of former Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who included him in his matchday squad on three occasions as the campaign wound down, although he didn't make it off the bench.

Maresca's arrival in the summer changed things and the teenager wouldn't have to wait long for his senior competitive bow; after being included in the first-team's pre-season tour of the United States, the 18-year-old made his debut as a second-half substitute in the Conference League play-off second leg against Servette in Switzerland in August.

George has continued to be given plenty of opportunities in the Conference League in the first half of 2024-25, going on to play every game in the league phase - including three starts - and also featuring in the Carabao Cup.

Although Premier League minutes had not been forthcoming, in December he was officially inducted as a full-time member of the senior squad alongside fellow Cobham graduate Acheampong.

After being included in the starting XI in the FA Cup third round against Morecambe and picking up two assists in a 5-0 romp, George finally made his debut in the English top flight when he was introduced as a late substitute in the victory over Wolves later in January 2025. That was the fourth occasion he had been included in a senior squad in the league in 2024-25, having largely continued to star in the Premier League 2 with the U21s.

George boasts all the attributes required to be a top-level winger; ball control, pace, vision and bags of tricks, and he also stands at 5'11 - unusually tall for his position. What arguably sets him apart, though, is his ball-striking ability.

Although he is yet to score a senior goal for Chelsea with his career is in its infancy, he has shown on numerous occasions throughout the academy age grades just how purely he can hit a ball. At just 18, George has already built up quite the repertoire of fine goals from varying ranges, usually after he has come inside from his preferred left-wing position before taking aim more centrally.

He is earning plenty of praise from his peers, which is always a positive; his team-mate Jadon Sancho, whom George idolised as a child, has pointed to the youngster's humility. "Tyrique has the world at his feet," the Manchester United loanee said. "Top guy and such a humble human being. Deserves every bit of success coming his way."

Speaking to Sky Sports, another first-team winger, Noni Madueke, said: "Tyrique’s talent is through the roof, man. He’s got everything to be a fantastic wing player. He can score with both feet, he's quick, skilful, can go both ways, he’s a great player. He’s one to look out for."

One of George's personal coach's has said of him: "Always had ability… What set him apart was his game intelligence and his desire to learn and improve."

Meanwhile, Maresca has noted that the winger tries to express himself on the pitch, saying in November: "I was very happy for him. The most important thing is he was not shy because he played with personality. This is important for a young player."

There are few obvious flaws to George's game that you wouldn't expect of an 18-year-old who has only just made his first-team breakthrough.

If you were being harsh, you could point to his decision-making in certain moments in his scant senior minutes so far, and maybe a little bit of naivety - all of which will be improved with experience. He picked up a needless yellow card minutes into his Premier League debut, too, for delaying the restart as Wolves chased the game, and irked his manager by not being completely ready to come off the bench when called upon. None of this will be a major concern, though.

The biggest challenge he faces is overcoming some fierce competition for places in the Chelsea squad to earn sufficient minutes and continue his development on its current upward trajectory.

In terms of established stars, there is no obvious comparison to George, with his height making him something of an anomaly. A rangy wide player who is capable of drifting centrally, you could compare him to his team-mate Cole Palmer, but they wildly different playing styles.

His ball-carrying, dribbling style and movement are reminiscent of Sancho's, although he is probably more direct and less tricky than his team-mate. It's clear that he has studied the ex-Borussia Dortmund star's game closely, though - something he has previously admitted.

There is the sense that George is a student of the game in general, taking cues from some of his favourite players and adding to and honing is own game to become the best winger he possibly can be.

The transfer window is always an uncertain time for inexperienced players who are inevitably on the fringes of the first-team picture. To that end, it has been reported that Chelsea have fielded several loan enquiries about George, but the intention - for the remainder of this season at least - is to keep him.

Speaking in December about the possibility of the club's youngsters leaving on loan, Maresca said: "With young players like Marc [Guiu], like Josh [Acheampong], like Tyrique, for me, the best thing for them is to be with us because they can understand every day the way we want to play. They can grow, we can teach them how we want them to play. It's better if they stay with us. But then it depends on the desire of the players."

The Italian added after George's impressive FA Cup third-round display: "He’s doing well for us and has already played in the Conference League. He’s very young, but hopefully we can give them more chances. He can become an important part of this team."

That first-team experience will be invaluable, although it would be little surprise to see George head out on a Premier League or Championship promotion-chasing loan next season. Whatever happens, he is clearly considered to be a big part of Chelsea's future.