There is something odd about the Championship Player of the Year actually being owned by a Premier League club, but the recipient, Patrick Bamford, is not complaining, not when he looks at youth opportunities back at Stamford Bridge.

There is talk of teenager Dominic Solanke playing for Bamford’s parent club at the Emirates tomorrow as Chelsea showcase their youth system. We will see. Ruben Loftus-Cheek was given a big build-up, not least by Jose Mourinho, before a Champions League dead rubber in December. He got seven minutes. A month later he was an injury-time substitute, since then… nothing.

Bamford has been playing regularly, albeit 250 miles away in Middlesbrough. Distance should have lent enchantment for Chelsea’s management, since the 21-year-old has flourished on Teesside, scoring 17 goals in 37 matches as Boro chase a return to the top flight. He was elected Player of the Season by the men who this season have tried – and frequently failed – to devise a way to stop him scoring goals, the managers of Boro’s Championship rivals.

Bamford has technically been a Chelsea player since he joined from Nottingham Forest, for £1.5m, in January 2012. However, he is yet to play for them, having been loaned to Milton Keynes and Derby County before Boro.

Chelsea's best XI of the season so far Show all 11 1 /11 Chelsea's best XI of the season so far Chelsea's best XI of the season so far Petr Cech - 6.83 The only real surprise in the Chelsea team, the deposed No 1 has benefited from only playing five matches in the Premier League compared to Thibaut Courtois, who has played 25. Courtois is only 0.01 behind Cech, so we're splitting hairs. Cech has kept a clean sheet in every game, however. Getty Images Chelsea's best XI of the season so far Branislav Ivanovic - 7.35 The powerful Serbian has arguably proved himself as the best right-back in the country this season. He's a threat when going forward and a superb defender, although he has looked tired and sluggish in recent weeks. GETTY IMAGES Chelsea's best XI of the season so far Gary Cahill - 6.94 The England vice-captain edges slightly in front of young centre-back Kurt Zouma who has also impressed. Cahill's form has been up and down this season but he has been better in recent weeks. GETTY IMAGES Chelsea's best XI of the season so far John Terry - 7.04 John Terry has played every minute of every Premier League game this season. You won't find a better centre-back in the division. Getty Images Chelsea's best XI of the season so far Cesar Azpilicueta - 7.23 Has been shaky recently but has had a great year playing on the left, despite being right-footed. Has seen off the challenge of £16m Filipe Luis, who wants to return to Spain. Chelsea's best XI of the season so far Cesc Fabregas - 7.73 Took the Premier League by storm at the start of the season but has really slowed down in the last couple of months. Got an assist against Hull but that was his first since January. The third highest rated player in the Premier League, according to WhoScored. GETTY IMAGES Chelsea's best XI of the season so far Nemanja Matic - 7.51 Has formed a dominant partnership with Cesc Fabregas that has been one of the major differences between this season and last. A brilliant shield for the defence and fantastic on the ball. GETTY IMAGES Chelsea's best XI of the season so far Willian - 7.00 Works extremely hard and a valuable outlet for Chelsea on the counter. But he doesn't quite provide enough threat in the final third and has just four goals and five assists all season. Juan Cuadrado was bought in January for big money but is yet to make an impact in England. Getty Images Chelsea's best XI of the season so far Oscar - 7.31 Another who has suffered with poor form recently, he hasn't scored for Chelsea since 17 January, a run of 11 matches. Needs to find some form in the closing stages of the season, although the Blues lack suitable replacements. GETTY IMAGES Chelsea's best XI of the season so far Eden Hazard - 8.02 The highest rated player in the Premier League according to WhoScored, Hazard has enjoyed another brilliant season as Chelsea's main attacking threat. Despite often facing two markers and being the most fouled player in the division he is still Chelsea's best performer GETTY IMAGES Chelsea's best XI of the season so far Diego Costa - 7.60 The Premier League's tormentor-in-chief is just about clinging on at the top of the goalscoring charts, with two in his last two after a long (for him) dry spell. Loic Remy and Didier Drogba have proved useful in parts for Chelsea but Costa is top dog - the Blues will be hoping the injury he picked up against Hull was none too serious. GETTY IMAGES

Should he overcome an ankle injury to appear at Fulham this afternoon, he will have played in 109 matches on loan – and he thinks he is all the better for his travels.

“I’d advise every young player to go out on loan rather than stay [and play in the Under-21 development league],” says Bamford. “There’s a massive difference between playing Under-21 football and being on the bench at Chelsea, and playing every week in a league where you are playing for people’s livelihoods and helping to pay their mortgages.

“If you ask Karl Robinson, I have come on so much from when I started playing for him at Milton Keynes. I would tell most youngsters to play every week if they can. At my age you need to play.”

Part of the education is learning to mix it against gnarled old defenders, developing the physical edge, the “nastiness” Diego Costa has and Mourinho appears to want in his players. “I think I have that now,” says Bamford. “It does come with experience. If you play for managers like Karl Robinson, it’s about your development, but there are times when you have to stick up for yourself and let defenders know you are around when nobody is looking.

“The tempo in the Under-21 league is a lot slower, it is very technical and there is none of that nastiness; that is something you have to learn from playing in league games.”

Or the pressure. Last May Bamford played in the promotion play-off final at Wembley for Derby and, unless Watford or Bournemouth drop points, a return is on the cards.

While Bamford concentrates on helping Middlesbrough to promotion, at Stamford Bridge they are debating who he should play for next season, Chelsea or another Premier League side.

“Hopefully, I’ll be playing in the Premier League next season one way or another,” says Bamford. “I’d like to try and play at Chelsea, but I don’t want to spend next season sat on the bench – at this stage it’s important for my development that I play every week if possible. Where I go is up to the club, but I regard my long-term future being at Chelsea. Fingers crossed, I might be the man who saves [Mourinho] spending £30m.

“I’ve got to be patient, I’m still quite young. If I want to be a main striker at Chelsea, I need to get the chance to push people like [Didier] Drogba and [Loïc] Rémy and to see what I can learn off them.”

Drogba’s future is uncertain but Bamford observes: “If he goes, Chelsea could go out and buy another striker; if he stays for another year, I could learn from him.”

The ideal scenario might be Boro going up and Bamford staying at the Riverside for another season, not least because Middlesbrough’s manager, Aitor Karanka, is close to Mourinho, having been his assistant at Real Madrid.

Bamford says: “He always tells me when he’s been speaking to Jose – he doesn’t tell me what was said, he just smiles and says, ‘I’ve been talking to your boss today...’”

Chelsea have dozens of players out on loan, but keep tabs on them via former player Eddie Newton, now youth development manager. Newton, says Bamford, has been to see him and sends loan players DVDs with clips of recent matches that “tells us what we’re doing well and what we could be doing better”. He adds: “I don’t really speak to Jose during the season, but that’s probably for the best. It means I can focus on what I’m doing at Middlesbrough.”