Ruben Loftus-Cheek
From TheChels.info - The Chelsea Football Club Wiki
| Ruben Loftus-Cheek | |
| |
| Full Name | Ruben Ira Loftus-Cheek |
| Date of Birth | 23rd January 1996 |
| Place of Birth | London, England |
| Position | Midfielder |
| Chelsea career | 2003 - 2023 |
| Debut | 10 December 2014 |
| Games (goals) | 155 (13) |
| Other clubs | Crystal Palace (loan) Fulham (loan) AC Milan |
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (born 23rd January 1996 in London, England) is a midfielder who played for Chelsea. He made his debut for the first team in December 2014. On 30 June 2023, after spending almost 20 years with Chelsea, Loftus-Cheek made a move to Serie A side AC Milan, signing a contract that runs until 2027.
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Pre-Chelsea career
Ruben joined Chelsea's academy at Under-8 and has been with the club his entire career.
Chelsea career
Ruben made his Under-18 debut at the back end of the 2010-11 season after struggling with injury for much of the campaign, and started the 2011-12 season as a regular in Adrian Viveash's team. He scored his first goal for the youth team away to Newcastle United in August 2011 and went on to grab nearly half a dozen in the first half of the campaign. However, he would miss much of the second half of the season with a hip injury and was only fit to return to action in the Second Leg of the 2011-12 FA Youth Cup Final against Blackburn Rovers.
He began the 2012-13 season by mixing between Under-21 and Under-18 football, whilst becoming a fixture in the team for the NextGen Series, where he would end up a losing finalist. He also became a lynchpin of yet another FA Youth Cup team, pairing successfully with Lewis Baker in central midfield as the Blues once again went all the way to the final, only this time to lose.
At the end of what was undoubtedly a productive season, Ruben was named in a first team touring party for two friendlies against Manchester City in the United States. He was given a start in both games, wearing the number 33 short, and impressed greatly on both occasions. Despite interest from Championship clubs with regards a loan move ahead of 2013-14, Ruben stayed at Chelsea and split time between the Under-21 and Under-18 ranks in the run up to Christmas.
He was named captain for the successful 2013-14 FA Youth Cup campaign and overcame the disappointment of the previous season to get his hands on the trophy. The following week he played his part as the Under-21s won their own national title.
Senior team
2014–15 Season
After a hugely impressive start to the 2014-15 season he was rewarded with his first team debut in December 2014 as he came off the bench in the home Champions League fixture against Sporting CP. As the season went on, talk and media attention surrounding him led to Jose Mourinho confirming his intentions to integrate him into the first team squad for the 2014-15 season and, with the title clinched before the end of the 2014-15 campaign, Ruben was handed Premier League starts against Liverpool and West Brom, having made a league debut in the closing moments against Manchester City back in February.
2015–16 Season
This season saw Loftus-Cheek receive more opportunities with the first team. He made 17 appearances in all competitions, scoring his first senior goal in an FA Cup tie against Scunthorpe United and later netting in a Premier League match against Aston Villa. His performances were marked by improved attacking instincts and confidence in central midfield, often being deployed as an advanced midfielder.
2016–17 Season
Despite fierce competition in Chelsea’s midfield and attack, Loftus-Cheek was part of the squad that won the Premier League title under Antonio Conte. He made limited appearances (mostly in domestic cups), featuring in 11 matches. While his playing time was modest, he gained valuable experience training in a title-winning environment and learned to operate in multiple midfield roles.
2017–18 Season - loan to Crystal Palace
Loftus-Cheek joined Crystal Palace on a season-long loan and had his breakout year. He made 24 Premier League appearances, scoring 2 goals and earning widespread praise for his direct running and technical ability. He became a fan favorite and was instrumental in helping Palace secure Premier League survival. His strong form earned him a call-up to the England national team.
2018–19 Season
Returning to Chelsea, Loftus-Cheek enjoyed his most productive season at the club. Under Maurizio Sarri, he made 40 appearances in all competitions and scored 10 goals, including a memorable hat-trick in the UEFA Europa League against BATE Borisov. He played a key role in Chelsea’s successful Europa League campaign, starting the semi-final against Eintracht Frankfurt and helping the team reach the final. Unfortunately, he suffered an Achilles tendon injury in a post-season friendly, ruling him out of the Europa League final and the following months of action.
2019–20 Season
Recovering from his long-term injury, Loftus-Cheek returned to action in the latter part of the season under Frank Lampard. He made 9 appearances across competitions. While he was still regaining match fitness, his technical quality and physical presence gave Chelsea another midfield option as they pushed for a top-four finish.
2020–21 Season - loan to Fulham
After making 1 appearance, the club decided to send Loftus-Cheek on loan to Fulham, in order to find regular minutes after returning from injury. He played 30 Premier League matches and scored 1 goal. Though Fulham were ultimately relegated, Loftus-Cheek played a significant role, often used as a central or attacking midfielder. The loan helped him regain sharpness and match rhythm.
2021–22 Season
Back at Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel, Loftus-Cheek re-established himself as a dependable squad player. He made 40 appearances in all competitions, including 24 in the Premier League. His versatility was valuable—playing as a central midfielder, right wing-back, and even as a makeshift center-back on occasion. He scored a notable goal in the FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace, helping Chelsea reach another domestic final. His composure on the ball and press resistance became key attributes during the season.
2022–23 Season
In what would become his final season at Chelsea, Loftus-Cheek made 33 appearances in all competitions. Although Chelsea endured a difficult campaign with managerial changes and squad instability, he remained a consistent presence, often rotating through midfield and right-sided roles. He added depth and professionalism in a season where Chelsea struggled for identity and results. At the end of the season, he departed the club after nineteen years of service.
International
Ruben was called up twice by England at Under-16 level during 2010-11 but had to withdraw injured on both occasions. Upon his selection in October 2011, he was named captain and played in the Victory Shield opener against Northern Ireland before scoring in the next match at home to Wales, underlining his credentials as one of the best prospects in the squad.
He made the step up to the Under-17 ranks in the 2012-13 season and scored his first goal at that level during the European Championship Qualifiers against Northern Ireland before later graduating to feature regularly at Under-19 level. In May 2015 he was included in the squad for the Under-21 European Championships, scoring seven goals at that level before making his full debut at senior level against Germany in November 2017, earning the Man of the Match award in the process.
Career statistics
Youth, Reserve and Under-21 Football
| Season | Under-18 | Euro U19 | Under-21 | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| 2010-11 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2011-12 | 14 | 5 | - | - | 4 | 0 | 18 | 5 |
| 2012-13 | 18 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 34 | 2 |
| 2013-14 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 39 | 1 |
| 2014-15 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 21 | 1 |
| 2015-16 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 46 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 49 | 3 | 116 | 10 |
(Statistics accurate as of the end of the 2015-16 season)
First team
| Season | Club | Prem | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| 2014-15 | Chelsea | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2015-16 | Chelsea | 13 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 2 |
| 2016-17 | Chelsea | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | Crystal Palace (loan) | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 2 |
| 2018-19 | Chelsea | 24 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 11 |
| 2019-20 | Chelsea | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | Chelsea | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | Fulham | 30 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 1 |
| 2021-22 | Chelsea | 24 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 1 |
| 2022-23 | Chelsea | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| Total | 103 | 7 | 14 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 28 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 155 | 13 | |
Correct as of the end of the 2022-23 season
Chelsea Goals
| # | Season | Date | Year | Competition | Opponent | Score | Result | Venue |
| 1 | 2015-16 | 10 January | 2016 | FA Cup | Scunthorpe United | 2-0 | 2-0 | Stamford Bridge |
| 2 | 2015-16 | 02 April | 2016 | Premier League | Aston Villa | 1-0 | 4-0 | Villa Park |
| 3 | 2018-19 | 25 October | 2018 | UEFA Europa League | BATE Borisov | 1-0 | 3-0 | Stamford Bridge |
| 4 | 2018-19 | 25 October | 2018 | UEFA Europa League | BATE Borisov | 2-0 | 3-0 | Stamford Bridge |
| 5 | 2018-19 | 25 October | 2018 | UEFA Europa League | BATE Borisov | 3-0 | 3-0 | Stamford Bridge |
| 6 | 2018-19 | 28 October | 2018 | Premier League | Burnley | 4-0 | 4-0 | Turf Moor |
| 7 | 2018-19 | 02 December | 2018 | Premier League | Fulham | 2-0 | 2-0 | Stamford Bridge |
| 8 | 2018-19 | 05 December | 2018 | Premier League | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 4-0 | 1-2 | Molineux |
| 9 | 2018-19 | 31 March | 2019 | Premier League | Cardiff City | 2-1 | 2-1 | Cardiff City Stadium |
| 10 | 2018-19 | 03 April | 2019 | Premier League | Brighton & Hove Albion | 3-0 | 3-0 | Stamford Bridge |
| 11 | 2018-19 | 05 May | 2019 | Premier League | Watford | 1-0 | 3-0 | Stamford Bridge |
| 12 | 2018-19 | 09 May | 2019 | UEFA Europa League | Eintracht Frankfurt | 1-0 | 1-1 | Stamford Bridge |
| 13 | 2021-22 | 17 April | 2022 | FA Cup | Crystal Palace | 1-0 | 2-0 | Wembley Stadium |
Career honours
- 2011 Sky Sports Victory Shield (England Under-16s)
- 2011-12 FA Youth Cup
- 2013-14 FA Youth Cup
- 2013-14 Under-21 Premier League
- 2014-15 UEFA Youth League
- Senior team
- Premier League: 2016-17
- UEFA Europa League: 2018-19
- UEFA Super Cup: 2021
