Premiership - Jose Mourinho has produced a bizarre metaphor to explain the trouble with bringing youth players through the ranks at a Premiership football club - and it is all to do with melons. With escalating transfer fees in England and UEFA's future commitment to ensuring that clubs feature home-grown players, it is becoming more important that they identify and nurture the talent at their disposal.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Mourinho said: "Young players are a little bit like melons. Only when you open and taste the melon are you 100 percent sure that the melon is good.
"Sometimes you have beautiful melons but they don't taste very good and some other melons are a bit ugly and when you open them, the taste is fantastic.
"One thing is youth football, one thing is professional football. The bridge is a difficult one to cross and they have to play with us and train with us to taste the melon.
"For example Scott Sinclair, the way he played against Arsenal and Manchester United, we know the melon we have."
Sinclair, who was on loan at Plymouth for part of last season, has returned to Home Park on a season-long deal.
"Now it is a question of the best thing for his short-term future because his long-term future will be at Chelsea," Mourinho clarified.
Chelsea lost out in the Premiership title race to Manchester United, but gained a measure of revenge by trumping Sir Alex Ferguson's side in the FA Cup final.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Mourinho said: "Young players are a little bit like melons. Only when you open and taste the melon are you 100 percent sure that the melon is good.
"Sometimes you have beautiful melons but they don't taste very good and some other melons are a bit ugly and when you open them, the taste is fantastic.
"One thing is youth football, one thing is professional football. The bridge is a difficult one to cross and they have to play with us and train with us to taste the melon.
"For example Scott Sinclair, the way he played against Arsenal and Manchester United, we know the melon we have."
Sinclair, who was on loan at Plymouth for part of last season, has returned to Home Park on a season-long deal.
"Now it is a question of the best thing for his short-term future because his long-term future will be at Chelsea," Mourinho clarified.
Chelsea lost out in the Premiership title race to Manchester United, but gained a measure of revenge by trumping Sir Alex Ferguson's side in the FA Cup final.
Jonathan Symcox
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