Chelsea Starlet Jérémie Boga Nets First Senior Goal in Pre-Season Friendly
By BBC Sport
Chelsea’s promising teenager Jérémie Boga has marked a significant milestone in his young career by scoring his first senior goal for the club during a pre-season friendly against Austrian side WAC RZ Pellets. The 17-year-old French midfielder found the net in the second half, salvaging a 1-1 draw for the Blues.
Boga, who signed his first professional contract with Chelsea just days ago, was introduced at half-time by manager José Mourinho. His impact was immediate. In the 83rd minute, he launched a surging run from deep within his own half, exchanging passes with experienced defender Branislav Ivanović before calmly finishing past the goalkeeper.
Speaking after the match, a delighted Boga reflected on his performance:
“I was very happy to get the equaliser in this difficult game. I’m very proud. I worked very hard to get the opportunity to play with the first team. I think I did well, but I have to keep going and improve every game.”
Boga also revealed the advice he received from Mourinho at the break, highlighting the manager’s trust in his attacking instincts:
“At half-time, he told me to press them high, with intensity. Apart from that, he told me to play my game and enjoy it.”
The goal adds to the growing reputation of the Marseille-born midfielder, who has regularly featured in Chelsea’s youth set-up and has long been tipped for a bright future. His energetic style and flair have drawn comparisons to former Chelsea talent Gaël Kakuta—another French prodigy whose career at Stamford Bridge never quite flourished under Mourinho.
While many young talents have struggled to break into Chelsea’s senior squad in recent years, Boga’s performance will offer encouragement that he could be the exception. His pre-season involvement with the first team and composed debut goal signal that he may yet carve out a place in Mourinho’s plans for the future.
With Chelsea continuing their preparations ahead of the upcoming Premier League campaign, all eyes will be on how far Jérémie Boga can push his development—and whether this pre-season breakthrough will translate into competitive minutes when the real action begins.
