Billy Gilmour Controlled Liverpool in the FA Cup - Now it's Time for a Premier League Run

​It's a position where players usually thrive in the latter stages of their career, but 18-year-old Billy Gilmour was the standout player as Chelsea's ball-playing defensive midfielder in their 2-0 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup fifth round.

Gilmour was only making the sixth senior appearance of his career, but the Scotland Under-21 international controlled the tempo of the game from the base of Chelsea's midfield, at times even akin to - dare I say - Andrea Pirlo or Xavi Hernández in their prime.

He's an academy player who looks like he's been purposely moulded to fill Jorginho's shoes as and when he's needed to in the first team, but with the Italian's form blowing hot and cold this season, Gilmour should now be staking a claim in Frank Lampard's Premier League starting XI.

On Tuesday, Gilmour was tasked with being Chelsea's deepest midfielder - he had Mateo Kovačić and Ross Barkley either side - and the 18-year-old showed an incredible amount of maturity throughout the game.

Always aware of what was going on around him and even willing to cover gaps left by Chelsea's two centre-backs, Gilmour found himself in the position to defend every time Liverpool were on the attack, either through the middle of the pitch or out wide.

It wouldn't be a baptism of fire for Gilmour either. Although Everton's trip to Stamford Bridge this weekend might be a step too far for the 18-year-old in the heat of the race for Champions League qualification, he could have the perfect chance to start in the league on the horizon, during a trip to Aston Villa.

Gilmour looks a lot more suited to filling Jorginho's shoes at senior level, but Kovačić's injury in the first half of their 2-0 win over Liverpool could see the Scot brought in as a box-to-box player soon enough.

Chelsea fans have had their fair share of wonderkids in the academy system to get excited about over the years, but with most of them failing to live up to their potential in any capacity, supporters will be erring on the side of caution with Gilmour.

They won't want to get ahead of themselves, but deep down the Stamford Bridge faithful will know they've got one of European football's most exciting midfielders on their books, who was able to come out on top against the Premier League champions-elect.

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