Chelsea announce bizarre youth team name change ahead of new season

Chelsea have dropped the club’s name from their age-group teams ahead of the new season, with the under-21 and under-19 sides being rebranded as Cobham Next Gen. The teams will compete as CNG in Premier League 2, with Chelsea believing the change better mirrors their academy's age profile after the under-21 squad was largely composed of players under 19 last term. The title stems from the club’s Surrey training base at Cobham, where youth sides occasionally host fixtures, although most home games take place at Kingsmeadow, formerly home to Chelsea’s women’s team. A club statement read: "The new name more accurately reflects the age profile of our leading Academy side and Chelsea’s long-standing heritage of developing the next generation of players for the senior game. "While the squad competed in Premier League 2 as an Under-21s side, its average age last season was closer to that of an Under-18s group, with several players as young as 16 years old featuring regularly. Jesse Derry broke into the Chelsea first team last season (Getty) "Cobham Next Gen also better fits the role of the squad within the Academy. "It recognises a group of young players with momentum, taking the next step in their development – the final one in the pathway to senior football – competing at a higher level as they continue their journey through Cobham towards the men’s team." Last season's under-21 side finished top of the regular Premier League 2 table before losing to Tottenham in the play-off quarter-finals. Regular winger Jesse Derry made his senior league debut during May's Premier League loss against Nottingham Forest, before he was forced off with a serious head injury in the first half. Two academy graduates currently feature in manager Xabi Alonso’s first-team squad – club captain Reece James and Levi Colwill. Several prominent former youth players have emerged from the system, including Arsenal and England midfielder Declan Rice and Manchester United’s Mason Mount. The Blues’ most successful ever captain John Terry, who guided Chelsea to all five of their Premier League titles, was also a product of Cobham. The new season is now just days away, with Chelsea set to face Fulham at Craven Cottage in a London derby next Monday.