Maresca hails Walsh as Chelsea reach UCL final: ‘I love Reggie!’

A youthful Chelsea sailed into the Conference League final to face Real Betis as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s strike added to their first-leg lead over Djurgarden to give them a 5-1 aggregate win.

With the tie already all-but over after last week’s thumping 4-1 win in Sweden, Enzo Maresca made 10 changes to his side with both eyes looking ahead to Sunday’s midday game at Chelsea, which could have major ramifications in their hopes of Champions League qualification.

They included a debut for 16-year-old Reggie Walsh, making the midfielder Chelsea’s youngest starter in European competition. He succeeded Shumaira Mheuka, who himself had only taken the record against Copenhagen in March.

“What did you think, did you like him?” Maresca quipped in his post-match press conference. “I love Reggie. He’s the kind of player in my system, in the way I want to play, it’s perfect.

“He’s 16. One-six. 16. You see how he asked for the ball, how good he is on the ball too. I told him he has to go to school tomorrow and it’s important for him, but he’s a good player for sure.”

Walsh was one of three homegrown teenagers in the Blues line-up and had been the pick of the bunch until another, Tyrique George, produced a deft backheel flick which was soon used to release Dewsbury-Hall for the winning goal.

He sidestepped a couple of challenges, and after spotting Jacob Rinne off his line, slotted inside the near post with a touch of class.

The Swedish visitors barely offered a threat and instead Dewsbury-Hall and George should have linked up for a second, but this time the midfielder’s finish evaded him as they scrambled the ball away.

Without little jeopardy riding on the match as a whole, Enzo Maresca introduced more of his young players – including Mheuka and an impressive cameo from Genesis Antwi, allowing them to soak in the applause at the full-time whistle with Chelsea’s place in Wroclaw assured.

Maresca relishing Betis final: They don’t like me!

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca:

“We have 20 days to prepare for the final, before that we have three more Premier League finals. I’m happy to face Betis, especially because it’s against Manuel Pellegrini. He’s one of my professional dads.

“I played for Sevilla for four years, they have a big derby against Betis. I scored a goal against them and we won 1-0, so I know they don’t like me.”

Dewsbury-Hall: We deserve a lot of credit if we win final

Chelsea match-winner Kieran Dewsbury-Hall on TNT Sports:

“It would mean everything. A lot of people would have said we should do this at the start of the season but I think if we do, we deserve a lot of credit. I know what football is like, it’s not easy.

“If we do win it, which I hope we can, the players and staff deserve a lot of credit. We have had pressure from the first match day, we have been professional and dedicated and now we have one more game.”