Lewis Baker is showing Chelsea what they’re missing at Vitesse Arnhem
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June 26th 2015 saw Premier League heavyweights Chelsea announced that Lewis Baker, a promising youngster from their dominant youth development squad, would be joining feeder club Vitesse Arnhem on loan.
At that moment, it appeared that he would be joining the growing list of academy graduates that would never get the chance to prove themselves in the Chelsea first-team. With loan spells at Sheffield Wednesday and MK Dons already behind him, Vitesse appeared to be the last stage in his development before he was sold off to one of Europe’s mid-tier clubs.
However, the 21-year-old has blossomed at Vitesse, recording five goals and four assists in his first season with the club and securing himself another year to progress. It took him just nine matches to match his goals scored tally this time round, and given the youngster’s tantalising form, he is likely to find the back of the net plenty more times before the season is up.
If you haven’t heard of Baker, you would be forgiven for thinking that he is a prolific centre forward who has been training to find the back of the net with ease from an early age. However, what makes his form all the more impressive is the fact that he operates in a central midfield position.
Those at Stamford Bridge are said to view him as the heir to Frank Lampard’s throne and it is easy to see why such comparisons have been made. Baker is making the headlines for his often incredible goals. Yet, it is his mental attributes that make him such an exciting prospect. His ability to read the game is already on par with some of the sport’s very best midfielders and he has the passing ability to create chances out of nothing. It will take a lot to emulate Lampard’s success, yet Baker is certainly heading in the right direction.
After leading the England Under-21s squad to victory at the summer’s Toulon Tournament, scoring in the final to produce a 2-1 victory over France, Baker arrived back in the Netherlands in brilliant form and it is plain to see just how much he has influenced the side’s results this season.
After scoring in four consecutive games throughout September and October, Baker’s form has tailed off somewhat. Unsurprisingly, so too have Vitesse’s results. Since Baker’s last goal in a 2-2 draw against AZ Alkmaar in mid-October, Henk Fraser’s side have claimed just one point in the league from a possible nine.
Getting Baker back among the goals is crucial to halting their slump. Yet, despite the shortage of goals, his performances haven’t been bad and he will be confident of getting his name back on the scoresheet sooner, rather than later.
Vitesse should enjoy having the 21-year-old around while they can. Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has shown that he is willing to give the club’s youngsters more game time this season and, with Baker proving himself to be a real talent, a place in the Chelsea first-team next season surely beckons.
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