Loftus-Cheek is among a talented group of English players who may struggle to develop at Chelsea

“Chelsea scouts will be in attendance.” It was a siren call that no ten-year-old boy could resist when the note came home from primary school. So there we were, wary parents shepherding excited children into a teeming sports hall one Sunday.

We walked in to find a frenzy of small-sided games. Give boys an hour to prove themselves a budding Eden Hazard or Diego Costa, and the evidence is that it quickly becomes a back-heel and step-over convention.

Casting anxious glances to see if any of the coaches had spotted their skills, they finished red-faced with effort. They were soon being ushered off to allow the next bunch on to the conveyor belt.

The session was run by a private coaching outfit with Chelsea’s blessing