Tammy Abraham: Bristol City’s rising star shows he is ready to shine on the big stage at Chelsea next season
Antonio Conte has described Abraham as the club's 'future'
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THE stage is set for Tammy Abraham to take a leading role at Chelsea — after boss Antonio Conte described the whizkid as “the future” of the Blues this week.
And you can expect the Bristol City loanee to revel in the limelight should the chance arise.
For performing in front of crowds has always come naturally to the 19-year-old, who has bagged 13 goals for club and country this season.
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Abraham revealed to SunSport that alongside football, acting has been a keen passion of his ever since he performed in skits at school.
The 6ft 3in England Under-21 striker said: “I’d say I was quite a good actor as well. I loved drama at school. That’s something, apart from football, that I really enjoyed doing.
“They would give us something and we had to create a scene.
“I remember a scene where a little boy got bullied. Obviously, I was the bully because I was a big guy!”
Abraham has gone from pretending to be a bully to bullying defenders in the Championship this season.
He has emerged as the golden boy of the lower leagues and Robins boss Lee Johnson has already described him as a potential “£50million” player.
Abraham burst on to the U-21 scene with two goals earlier this month against Bosnia and Herzegovina and has been tipped to follow Marcus Rashford’s path to England stardom.
The African nation’s football federation president, Amaju Pinnick, recently stated he could convince Abraham — who he described as “like a son” — to switch allegiances.
And London-born Abraham did NOT rule out the chance of picking the Super Eagles.
He said: “I have to keep doing well for Bristol City for England and Nigeria to keep fighting for me.
“I’m Nigerian as well so it is possible to play for Nigeria. I have to keep focused on playing here and whatever happens, happens.”
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Pressed on if England would be his first choice, he added: “I don’t know. It’s a hard one really because you never know where you’re going to be a couple of years from now.”
If Abraham’s rise has been meteoric, then Manchester United star Rashford’s has been from another universe.
Abraham has been stunned by the surge, particularly after thrashing him 5-1 in the FA Youth Cup last year.
The City hotshot said: “It’s crazy how it’s gone from me playing against him — and him losing the FA Youth Cup — to him winning the actual FA Cup.
“It’s massive how things change in football. It’s well deserved and I’m really happy for him.
“One day it would be nice to play alongside him. If I keep doing my best, hopefully I will have that chance.”
Abraham’s international chances will, of course, be improved if he can become the first academy product since John Terry in 2000 to become a Chelsea regular.
The forward has been with the Blues since U-8 level — after snubbing boyhood club Arsenal to join them.
And he still remembers his first encounter with a Chelsea superstar when he was locked outside the Cobham academy. Abraham, who takes on Barnsley today with City, explained: “The first player I came across was Didier Drogba.
“I remember walking outside the academy and I was cold.
“He saw me outside and picked me up in his car and dropped me at the training ground. I was eight or nine. As soon as I got out the car I was looking for my team-mates to say, ‘That’s Drogba!’ but I didn’t see anyone!
“That gave me an idea of how the players are off the pitch — being my idol and a funny, bubbly character you need those kind of players around you.
“He was asking who I was playing against. I could see he was someone who loved football, who loved scoring and winning. To see someone like that gives you the belief to try to be like them.”
If Abraham can become a leading character like Drogba — or even understudy to Diego Costa — it will be an astounding achievement.
But what he does after this Robins spell, whether he goes on loan again or fights for a spot at Stamford Bridge, will be crucial in whether he realises that dream or not.
To be or not to be at Chelsea next year, that is the question.