The man who brought through players like Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Lewis Baker, Dominic Solanke and Andreas Christensen at Chelsea as Under-21 boss, and while youth coach at Arsenal helped develop both Jack Wilshere and Kieron Gibbs, still hopes that some of his youngsters can finally get a break at Stamford Bridge. But now his focus is on League Two club Crawley. He clinched the job this summer by showing the new owner, Turkish steel magnate Ziya Eren, a video presentation of his plans - which began with a clip from 'Only Fools And Horses'. "I put that in there just to relax them and start with a laugh," said the 55-year-old. "Fortunately Ziya loved it - but he loved the plans for the club even better." So the journey, from Arsenal to Chelsea and via Brazil and the Nags Head in Peckham, has brought him to Crawley - some fare for the former Arsenal youngster who worked as a London cabbie while playing non-League football after being rejected at 19 by the Gunners. Drummy has forged a reputation as one of the best coaches around, winning the FA Youth Cup in 2010 and the Under-21 Premier League in 2014 with Chelsea.

GETTY Crawley Town boss Dermot Drummy has branded Chelsea's youth policy 'messy'

Currently Chelsea have a staggering 38 players out on loan, many of them the youngsters Drummy worked with. Among them is striker Tammy Abraham, who has scored 11 goals in 14 games at Bristol City. Despite all the millions spent, the last home-grown kid to break through at Stamford Bridge and establish a place in the first team was John Terry. Drummy believes that until the club have a settled policy under a manager who stays for more than the two-year maximum apparently favoured by Roman Abramovich, that pattern will not change. "Chelsea have produced plenty of players up to about the Under-20 level, but then what happens? They go out on loan," said Drummy. "It's messy. There is no real link to the first team. "I don't think Chelsea's managers know enough about these young players. Antonio Conte or any manager that comes in has to hit the ground running fast. You lose a game and it is alarm bells. Their remit is to keep their jobs, be successful with the first team.

Chelsea players out on loan Sun, January 29, 2017 Chelsea have shipped a record 38 players out on loan this summer, but who are they and where have they gone? Play slideshow Chelsea FC via Getty Images 1 of 38 Mukhtar Ali (Vitesse Arnhem)

"Young players don't always instantly succeed. Lewis Baker [on loan at Vitesse Arnhem] is a very good player. I said to Jose Mourinho, 'You will need to tell him he's good'. Does the manager have time for that? "What is the strategy at Chelsea? Is it season to season? They can't look at their best youngster, say Charly Musonda [on loan at Real Betis], and plot where he is going to be in three years' time. Because who will the manager be then? So they can't actually say that Charly will be one for then. "The philosophy changes all the time. It will be whatever Conte's is, whatever Jose's is. The instability is very tough on young players. "But then again, do Chelsea need that, with the buying power they have? No. The buying power can paper over these things." Drummy, who almost joined Brazilian club Bangu after leaving Chelsea, has raided his old club to get two youngsters on loan, and has another four former Stamford Bridge men on his books, keen to link again with their old mentor.