Bate 'not jealous' of fellow Chelsea graduates

Lewis Bate has made a total of 35 appearances for Stockport County in all competitions this season

As a young player coming through Chelsea's academy and playing alongside some the biggest and brightest future talents, Lewis Bate has taken a different path in his career to that of his peers.

The 22-year-old joined Stockport County last summer from Leeds United and has had a breakthrough season - helping his side to the League One play-offs and the verge of a second successive promotion.

But is there a tinge of envy at the way his career has progressed compared to his peers in Chelsea's youth set-up?

BBC Sport spoke to Bate about his career so far, his time at Stockport, and preparing for a play-off campaign at the end of a gruelling season.

Bate spent his entire youth career with Chelsea but did not turn out for the first team before he left to join Leeds in 2021.

He was part of a crop of talent at Chelsea which included Newcastle United full-back Tino Livramento, Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala, England international Levi Colwill and Swansea City's Myles Peart-Harris.

Whereas his peers have gone on to play for some of Europe's elite teams or made their full international debuts, Bate has plied his trade in England's lower leagues.

"It is hard to not be impressed by a lot of the lads," he said.

"Someone like Tino Livramento, he was one of my best mates growing up and we lived together. Seeing what he is doing now, playing week in, week out for a club like Newcastle, doesn't surprise me and that says a lot about him really.

"Jamal Musiala at Bayern Munich doesn't surprise me, Levi Colwill doesn't surprise me, Myles Peart-Harris will get to the top again, he is a great athlete and footballer. These are all lads I grew up with from the age of nine."

Bate made just five senior appearances at Leeds. He spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Oxford United in League One, and the latter half of last season on loan in League Two with MK Dons.

Having settled at Stockport, Bate is optimistic about his future.

"I have been asked in the past if I am jealous, but not at all," he added.

"They are lads I've grown up with, they are great lads, so I hope to be back on the big stage with them someday."

Lewis Bate did not make a senior appearance for Chelsea but did make two appearances in the EFL Trophy for their under-23 side

Bate has thrived at Stockport under the tutelage of boss Dave Challinor, with the club looking to win a second successive promotion and continue their immense rise from non-league football towards the Championship.

The Hatters visit Leyton Orient on Saturday before welcoming them back to Edgeley Park on Wednesday.

But Bate said that his pathway towards this season has not been without its "frustrations".

"There has been frustrations along the way. I say of my time at Leeds that I wasn't ready for the Premier League. I had my time, chances, and I look back and I am frustrated," he added.

"But I had my chances and I didn't take them. I don't hold any grudges. I look at myself before anyone else.

"I had to go to MK Dons, which is a fantastic football club, and I loved my time there. I was disappointed we didn't get out of the league, we lost the play-offs, but everything seems to have worked out at Stockport.

"I hope to be in the Championship again where I played with Leeds and carry on building from there with Stockport."

Soon after joining Stockport, Bate was handed the captaincy - a bold move given he was only 21 at the time.

His side has challenged at the top of the table for much of the campaign before narrowly missing out on automatic promotion to eventual runaway champions Birmingham City and second-placed Wrexham.

"I got the message from the manager in pre-season and I was shocked as well," Bate said.

"I was a 21-year-old in the door for just four weeks. I looked around the dressing room and thought there may be a few unhappy people about me getting that captaincy.

"But I did think it was a great opportunity for me. I decided to take it on, and the only way to top it would be to lift a trophy at Wembley."

Bate was named in the League One team of the season at the 2025 EFL Awards.

He is hoping to continue his form into the play-offs and help his side reach English football's second tier for the first time since 2002.

Stockport finished the regular season in third place having put together an eight-game unbeaten run, including seven wins.

They take on Orient who themselves come into the tie with a stunning run - having won six games in a row and eight out of the past 10.

So is the pressure on Stockport given their third-placed finish?

"I think we don't have a lot of pressure on us," Bate said.

"Wycombe have held the automatic spots all season and haven't held on to it, Charlton are desperate to get out of the league and have been for a while, and Reading and Orient are gunning for it as well.

"We've got a winning mentality, Stockport has a winning culture. I feel like there will be more pressure on other teams to get out of the league than us and that will suit us."