Armando Broja: 7 Things to Know About the Chelsea Starlet Knocking on Frank Lampard's Door
By Tom Gott
With Tammy Abraham out injured, Olivier Giroud being old and Michy Batshuayi being Michy Batshuayi, Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard opted to include 18-year-old striker Armando Broja on the bench for Sunday's clash with Everton.
The youth revolution is in full swing this season, and Lampard is clearly not scared to turn to the academy's top performers when needed, with fellow youth-team star Tino Anjorin also making the bench.
Unlike Anjorin, Broja is yet to have a taste of senior action, so plenty of fans might have never seen him before. Well, if that's the case, you've come to the right place.
He's a Versatile Forward
Let's start with his play style. We already know Broja is a striker, but that's not the only position in which he has featured.
He spent plenty of his early years in the academy as a winger, thanks to his footwork and passing vision, and he is happy to shift out to either the left or right side of the field to help his team.
Make no mistake about it, his best work comes in that central striker role, but don't be surprised to see him earn some minutes as a winger in the near future.
He's Following in the Footsteps of Tammy Abraham
With Abraham shining in the first team, the pressure is on Broja to replicate the Englishman's success. Well, he's on track so far.
In December 2019, Broja bagged a hat-trick in the FA Youth Cup against Huddersfield Town. In the club's history, only Abraham and Dominic Solanke have managed to score three goals in a single Youth Cup game.
At academy level, that's some pretty illustrious company to keep. However, when it comes to the senior game, Abraham and Solanke represent two drastically different career paths. Which one will Broja go down?
He Hasn't Always Dominated
This season has been a real breakout year for Broja. Last year, he managed just two goals in 21 appearances for the club's Under-18 side, which hardly set the world on fire.
Fortunately, that form still earned him a call-up to Albania's Under-21s last summer, and that appeared to light a fire under Broja. He banged three goals in two games, and then brought that hot streak back to Chelsea.
That confidence has seen Broja explode this season, and long may it continue.
He's Eligible to Play for England
As of yet, all Broja's international appearances have come for Albania's youth sides. However, he could still turn out for England.
Broja was actually born in Slough, so he remains eligible for the Three Lions if they decide they want to give him a call.
At the minute, he represents Albania because of his parents' heritage, and The Athletic note that the Eagles are eager to bring him into the senior setup as soon as possible to fend off competition from England.
He Does a Bit of Everything
While Broja is never going to win awards for his speed and agility, he won't be too concerned as he can do pretty much everything else.
He's an aerial threat who is not afraid of using his physique to his advantage, but he's far more than a brute. Broja is comfortable with the ball at his feet and loves to start attacks with either a decisive pass or an electric counter attack.
He's actually fairly similar to Olivier Giroud in that teammates love to play off him, but Broja does bring at least some form of speed to the field. The youngster is no sprinter, but he can hold his own when needed.
He Idolises Didier Drogba & Ronaldo
Every young player grows up wanting to emulate some older veterans. For Broja, they are Chelsea icon Didier Drogba and Brazilian Ronaldo. Good choices.
Broja spends plenty of time watching footage of both players in their respective primes to try and add qualities from both into his game. He's obviously got a long way to go, but it's not hard to see influences from the pair in Broja's performances.
He even watches Abraham closely to find out what it takes to become a Chelsea striker. By the looks of it, he might soon have his chance to prove what he has learned.
Chelsea Rushed Through a New Contract for Him
As a result of his electric form this year, Broja was rewarded with a new two-year contract in January, but Chelsea actually had to rush the whole thing to make sure they got it all over the line.
Plenty of sides across Europe had taken notice of Broja, and the Blues were expecting some real interest in January and throughout the rest of the season, so they threw a new contract at him to ensure he continued his development at Stamford Bridge.
It's clear that Chelsea have high hopes for him, and given his recent goalscoring prowess, you can't exactly blame them.