Chelsea starlet Billy Gilmour, 18, bigger than Santa in Kilmarnock and proved he’s magic by dressing as Hermione Granger
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MOST footballers can’t wait to leave school. The idea of leaving those gates one final time and playing football full-time is unbeatable.
But Billy Gilmour isn’t like most footballers.
The Chelsea midfielder - who turned 18 last June - made his senior debut against Sheffield United in the Premier League clash in August.
He turned in a star performance against Liverpool in the FA Cup last night, and had Blues fans raving about his bit of trickery which sent Fabinho back to school.
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard said: "I’m absolutely delighted for him, and he deserves everything."
In September, he signed a new long-term deal at Stamford Bridge, was named PL2 Player of the Month 24 hours later and started in the League Cup against Grimsby.
Not bad for a teenager. A teenager who left school two years ago and took the plunge of leaving Rangers after eight years to join Chelsea’s infamous academy.
The glamour of Cobham a far cry from Ardrossan, the small town on the North Ayrshire coast Gilmour originates from.
With a population of approximately 11,000, it was once a thriving shipbuilding town.
Its two beaches meant thousands of Glaswegians flocked there each summer during the Glasgow Fair until the 1960s.
Tourism is still alive today, although many head to Ardrossan as a gateway to the Isle of Arran.
But it is where Gilmour goes back at every opportunity... and where he’s more popular than Santa.
Jim Hughes, Gilmour’s headteacher at Stanley Primary School - where Billy starred for the football team for an unprecedented four years - told SunSport in October: “He just pops in. There's no need to make an appointment, he's welcome anytime.
“He does a lot of things for local boys clubs, presenting trophies, getting a signed strip. He feels at home here.
“Billy was here in late June. He popped in with his mum and collected his cousins.”
Like Bayern Munich’s Liam Morrison, the youngster attended Grange Academy in Kilmarnock, one of the Scottish FA’s seven performance schools aimed to raise up future Scotland internationals.
With two weeks off during the summer, Gilmour opted not to go on holiday, letting his hair down and sunning himself up - instead he trained. Hard.
James Grady - who made more than 400 senior appearances in Scotland - was his SFA coach at Grange and insists no younger player has a better work ethic.
He said: “He comes in every time he's up. He'll text and ask if he can come in. I always say, 'Of course.' But it's a question, not a big 'I'm coming in.'
“He wears his old performance kit. He could very easily come in wearing his Chelsea kit but he doesn't. He comes in, trains with the boys at his tempo.
“The drive and desire to be the best, I've never seen in any young kid in 28 years.
“People may laugh but it won’t be for the want of trying that Billy will not become the best player in the world.”
Gilmour is desperate to succeed in everything, not just football.
The one-time Burberry model broke the school’s high-jump record for his age - Gilmour stands at 5ft 6ins at 18 - and decided to challenge himself by taking exams in Mandarin rather than the conventional French or Spanish.
Science teacher Michaela Hagan experienced his desire to win first hand.
She said: “They were just so competitive. The first experiment they did was boiling a beaker of water which is not exciting. They were claiming theirs was boiling faster.
“His practicals were hilarious to watch. Everything excited him in science.”
Gilmour’s parents Billy Sr and Carrie were naturally incredibly proud to see their son step out at the Bridge, following in the footsteps of his hero Cesc Fabregas, in front of a crowd almost four times the size of Ardrossan.
Dad was frequently away serving in the Royal Navy during Billy Jr’s early childhood, meaning Carrie, a teacher, would often take their son to his first club, Tass Athletic.
The Gilmours are a tight and supportive family, with Billy the “biggest fan” of younger brother Harvey, on the books with Kilmarnock and following his sibling through the SFA programme.
A picture of his loved ones is on Gilmour’s shin pads, meaning they are always close, even when Chelsea’s home is 434 miles from the family’s.
Mr Hughes, himself an ex-footballer, added: “Academically Billy was fairly bright. Literacy and numeracy he was good.
“Anytime there were visitors, you could always rely on him to show them around. He enjoyed coming here.
“He was a model pupil. It was clear he came from a good family background because he had good manners, he was respectful.”
But together with English teacher Katie Bolton, Gilmour’s parents almost prevented him fulfilling his dream.
Ms Bolton explained: “I nearly put an end to his football career before it even started. He hadn't handed in a piece of work and at parents’ night I told them. He worked hard but was missing deadlines with football. He needed to catch up.
“His dad said, 'Right that's it. No football this week.' They were really strict with that. But can you imagine if he actually stopped going to football because of me? Sorry Billy! Thankfully he caught up!”
Gilmour is constantly determined to give himself every chance of making it. After all, few who grow up in the ‘Three Towns’ of Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston leave the area.
Mr Hughes said: “It is quite a deprived area in terms of socio-economic factors so to have somebody like Billy as an inspiration for people to look up to is fantastic.”
Speaking of inspirations, whenever Gilmour heads back to school, students are amazed.
His PE teacher and Grange team manager Charlie Adams, who played for Kilmarnock and Partick Thistle, knows this all too well.
He explained: “Harvey’s in my team this year. We got beaten badly in the Scottish Cup final. The boys were devastated.
“Billy came in and said, 'Guys, when I was at the Grange, we got beaten. It's how you react to it.' That says a lot about him. Then the boys were more interested in selfies with Billy afterwards!
“He was at the Christmas Fair. The big news that he went from Rangers to Chelsea was out. There was a Santa there but there was a bigger queue to meet Billy! Who cares about Santa? There's Billy!”
Any chance of letting his success get to his head is out the question, though.
Mr Grady reckons Gilmour will be the first to admit: I’ve achieved nothing yet.
Pat Breen is chairman of non-league side Ardrossan Winton Rovers and has known Gilmour since the age of ten.
Billy Sr played in their midfield and his son would soon join in training, holding his own against men. That might explain why he is a rare Chelsea prodigy not to be dumped on the loan conveyor belt.
Breen explained: “Billy Sr's an accomplished tradesman, a gas fitter. Wee Billy had a good upbringing, he's never forgotten his roots.
“At 11, he kicked the ball like he was 19. Then he made the big move.
“Billy came down to watch one of our Friday night fixtures, everyone was wanting to chat to him and ask about Chelsea.
“But he's more interested in how things are here, wanting to know how Rovers are doing, looking at our new supporters club.”
One story stands out above the rest, though - when Gilmour helped the science department with their workshop day for primary schools.
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Senior pupils were asked to assist and Gilmour spent the day at the potions-making station… dressed up as Hermione Granger.
Quick as a flash, Mr Grady quipped: “That’s because he’s magic!”
Wee Billy Gilmour. A delicate wizard on the pitch and a dedicated workman off it.
