text: Back in January 2012 Chelsea took three promising young boys, all brothers, from their home in Graham Gardens, Luton, after watching them beat the mighty Bayern Munich in a youth tournament. There was a bit of a fuss made of the move at the time, with brothers Jay, plus twins Cole and Rio, compared with the trio of Wallace siblings who created history when they played together in a first-team game for Southampton against Sheffield Wednesday on October 22, 1988. On Wednesday, Jay Dasilva, the eldest of the three children, who left Luton Town’s academy to make the 100-mile round trip, three or fours times a week, in their mum Alison’s Rover to Chelsea’s Cobham training base, turns 17. He is earmarked first team potential. Chelsea's kids have been buoyed by Jose Mourinho's insistence on promoting young players at the club . Dominic Solanke (right) celebrates scoring in the FA Youth Cup final first leg victory over Manchester City . In an environment where the competition is fierce and the temptation is to spend big in the transfer market, Jose Mourinho made the surprise announcement that he will promote one of Chelsea’s youngsters next season. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, a powerful, muscular presence in Chelsea’s development teams, will be with the first-team squad at the start of pre-season. Those with an intimate knowledge of Jay Dasilva’s progress at Chelsea over the past three seasons believe this first-year scholar is not far behind. A week ago Dasilva returned to the national conscience when Ian Wright claimed he was ‘better than any other Premier League left back’ after Chelsea became UEFA youth champions in Switzerland. Among a group of players that includes Leighton Baines, Kieran Gibbs and Luke Shaw, at England level alone, plus Chelsea’s first-choice left back Cesar Azpilicueta, it was certainly an audacious claim by the former Arsenal striker. John Terry is the last player to come through Chelsea's youth ranks and become a first-team regular . Terry broke into the Chelsea team in 1999, but the club has been unable to unearth a stellar talent since . He moved through the junior teams at pace, settling at left back after spells as a winger, and is one of the most level-headed young players at the club. At his old school in Luton, he was head boy. When he travelled to Paphos, Cyprus, for a European Championship qualifier with England last October, he revealed that one of his motivations was to stay ahead of his kid brothers in the family pecking order. ‘They keep me on my toes and they’re after me, so I need to keep working hard to stay ahead of them,’ he admitted. ‘It’s great to have all three of us at Chelsea. We have played together since we were young, so hopefully that will happen at senior level one day.’ They are a remarkable football family, with dad Trevor well known in the parks game in Luton. His eldest son Ryan was a professional with Luton. Jay Dasilva is a promising young player on the Blues' books, along with two of his brothers . The young left back is forging a bright reputation for himself and was recently hailed as a star by Ian Wright . Dasilva beats Norwich's Reece Hall-Johnson to the ball during a Premier League International Cup match . Last week he was in Nyon, Switzerland, joining in with his team-mates when they poured a bucket of ice over their coach Adrian Viveash as Chelsea’s Under 19 team celebrated becoming UEFA Youth League Champions. At the time of the final, which Chelsea won 3-2 against Shakhtar Donetsk, after beating Roma 4-0 in the semi-final, the defender was playing three years up on his age group. He is a big talent. On Monday evening he returned to Chelsea’s Under 18 side, playing left back as they won the first leg of the Youth Cup final against Manchester City at the Etihad Campus 3-1. Last year, when he had only just turned 16, the academy scholar scored in the thrilling 7-6 aggregate victory in the FA Youth Cup triumph over Fulham. Despite the progress of Dasilva, along with many other young players in Chelsea’s lavish academy system, there is a good deal of scepticism about their chances of making the first team. Two years ago Nathaniel Chalobah was regarded among the most talented teenagers in the country when he spent a season on loan with Watford in the Championship. Mourinho, who was about to quit Real Madrid to return to Chelsea, was compelled to make a flying visit to England to watch Chalobah in the Championship play-off final against Crystal Palace in 2013. Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been guaranteed a chance to make his mark in the Chelsea first-team squad . But Nathaniel Chalobah (centre) shows that Chelsea's young players must take their chance when it comes . Chalobah was the big hope at Chelsea's academy, but he did not shine when Mourinho made a special trip to watch him when he played for Watford in the Championship play-off final (right). Now he is on loan at Reading . On the big day Chalobah disappointed, missing an opportunity to make an impression on the incoming Chelsea manager before his return to English football had been officially confirmed. Chalobah had been the big hope in academy circles, the one player Chelsea’s academy director Neil Bath hoped could break the run, stretching back to 1999, since a youth-team graduate became a first-team regular. They need no reminders that man was captain John Terry. Still, it is also something of a myth that Mourinho will not give youth a chance because he won the 2004 Champions League final with Porto by playing three players from the club’s academy system. Goalkeeper Vitor Baia, central defender Ricardo Carvalho and his partner at the back Jorge Costa had all progressed through the youth ranks at Estadio do Dragao. The challenge for Dasilva next season, when he becomes a second-year scholar, is to prove to the manager that he can take his chance during impromptu training sessions with the first team. Azpilicueta and Filipe Luis are the established left backs in the squad, fighting it out for a starting position each week in Chelsea’s first team. As every player at Chelsea soon discovers, they cannot be around forever.
target: Jay Dasilva building a strong reputation in Chelsea's youth system .
  The young defender has been earmarked as a future first-team player .
  Chelsea have not produced a homegrown regular since John Terry .
  But Jose Mourinho insists he will give youth players a chance .
  Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been guaranteed a place in the squad .