Ruben Loftus-Cheek points the way to Chelsea's future

The belief in youth among Chelsea's fanbase is almost a religious thing: blind faith in something which, despite numerous promised miracles, never seems to reveal itself.

People, both inside and outside of the club's Cobham training base, are desperate for a homegrown star. And there has been great hope that, in Ruben Loftus-Cheek, such a young man may finally have arrived.

The disappointment that greeted his management by Jose Mourinho, whose only real nod in his way was a 45-minute first half cameo before being hooked off against an abject Aston Villa, was palpable. As was the reaction to Guus Hiddink's FA Cup third round starting XI against Scunthorpe on Sunday, which included not a single locally produced product for a match where many expected the youth to make headlines.

In the end, those headlines were made, and the way in which they were shows a difference in approach between the present club management and the expectations of the support.

Rather than risking an upset by going full out with a developing side, something that might risk breaking the confidence and reputation of inexperienced players, Hiddink decided to give some valuable match time to youngsters once progression to the next round looked at least fairly safe.

Afterwards, the stand-in boss talked about the value and importance of the academy and how, while no pressure had been applied by the club to play these youngsters, it was the logical next step to make use of a resource that was there. That might be seen as a barb sent in the direction of Mourinho, who had little time for them, and barely knew many of them existed.

Certainly it appears that whoever is the next full-time boss, he will be expected to have more than half an eye on what happens at Under-21 level within the club. Though miracles should not be expected overnight, and many would do well to remember this was 45 minutes and a goal against Scunthorpe for Loftus-Cheek, and not against Arsenal, Manchester City or PSG.

So while cautious optimism might be the best outlook for Loftus-Cheek's career, how do we evaluate the academy project as a whole?

While it is possible to point towards careers that have been wasted, talent that has been lost, through botched management of young careers inside the club and beyond, it is wrong to think that Loftus-Cheek is the only one to come close to making it in the big time. Ryan Bertrand is another example: signed from Gillingham's academy aged just 15, he went on to win the Champions League with the Blues, before moving elsewhere in the Premier League with Southampton, and featuring for England.

Chelsea never saw the best of him, aside from 90 minutes in Munich, but his talent has not been lost – and value has been returned in the form of the knowledge and experience gained in his development, and the £10m transfer fee received from St Mary's.

In the Stamford Bridge press room before the Scunthorpe game, this reporter bumped into a face that looked familiar, but for a few years of extra experience since the last time it had been seen. It was Sam Hurrell – winner of Chelsea's first ever Football Icon programme back in 2005, when the club tried a Simon Cowell-esque approach to finding new talent, in partnership with Sky TV.

In a quick chat, Blues fan Hurrell revealed that it had not really worked out for him as a player: the records show he made a series of appearances at youth level, but was released after failing to break through to the reserves.

But that was not the end of his story in the game. The 27-year-old is now back at Chelsea, where he is taking his coaching badges, and a has a role in bringing through the potential football icons of the future.

Never say that investment in talent wasn't worth it because, as this young man's story shows, while Chelsea are yet to see the dividends at first-team level, the positive difference can be felt elsewhere within the game.