22 August 2023 , 11:34
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Chelsea have confirmed the signing of England youth international Ollie Harrison from Newcastle United.
The talented teenager will initially join Chelsea's Under-18s team as he continues his development at Stamford Bridge. The Blues youngsters began their 2023/24 campaign with a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace last weekend, with both goals scored by forward Donnell McNeilly.
The upcoming match against Aston Villa Under-18s on Saturday presents an opportunity midfielder Harrison to make his debut for his new side after integrating with the squad this week, reports football.london. Harrison, 16, is the latest young player to be snapped up by Chelsea this summer.
The Blues signed Moises Caicedo (21), Romeo Lavia and Lesley Ugochukwu (both 19), as well as young Brazilian duo Angelo and Andrey Santos. Co-owner Todd Boehly wants the club to continue investing in promising young players.
Harrison's impressive performances for Newcastle's age-group teams have not gone unnoticed on the international stage. He was a key player for the England Under-16s team that won the the Mondial Montaigu Tournament held in France earlier this year.
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His international debut came in the Young Lions' 2-0 group stage victory against New Caledonia. Harrison played a crucial role in the team's penalty shootout victories against Romania in the semi-final and Japan in the final, securing England's first tournament win in eight years.
Reflecting on his experience, Harrison told Newcastle's club website back in April: "It was my first time away with England for the 50th anniversary of the tournament and it was class to win it, such a big tournament, which we hadn’t done for eight years. It’s something I will remember forever.
"We faced Romania in the semis and I came on for the last half hour. It went to penalties, which was a nerve-racking experience, but I stepped up to take one and scored which is something I won’t forget. We won 8-7, which was a long shoot-out, and then we played Japan in the final.
New Chelsea signing Ollie Harrison was part of the England Under-16s side who won the Final Montaigu Tournament earlier this year (Baptiste Fernandez/Icon Sport via Getty Images))"I started the final, which I was over the moon about, and played the full game. It went to another penalty shoot-out, which was a bit shorter than the last one, and the place just lit up when we won.
"It’s not easy winning on penalties, as we’ve seen over the years, but to win two shoot-outs was class. After we won the first one, we were quite positive and that made the victory even more sweeter."
Harrison bounced back from an injury picked up halfway through last season. He added: "I just had to work hard to get back to the best level after my injury.
"Since then, I played a few matches and then got the England call-up which was really positive. I’m back playing with the under-18s, which I love. It’s a great test, physically, going up against older lads and helps with my development as a player."
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