Meet Chelsea record-breaker Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli

Eyebrows were raised when Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli became the youngest player to start a Uefa Youth League match for Chelsea last month.

The midfielder is yet to finish secondary school and does not turn 16 until January, yet he is playing in Europe's elite youth competition, lining up for Chelsea's under-21s and has faced men the same age as his father in the EFL Trophy.

This is down to both Nicoll-Jazuli's talent and the academy's strategy of giving chances to younger players, with Chelsea's first team currently the joint youngest in the Premier League.

But who is Nicoll-Jazuli? He was born in Sydney to an Australian mother, while his father hails from a region around the Chad-Sudan border.

He is playing up an age group with England Under-17s but could also be eligible to play for France, highlighting a potential future international tussle.

Nicoll-Jazuli's football journey began at Afewee Training Centre, located in Brixton Recreation Centre in south London. He was quickly spotted by Chelsea, Arsenal and Crystal Palace, but opted to join the Blues as a six-year-old, with his younger brother also now at the club.

Previously a reluctant centre-back, Nicoll-Jazuli moved into midfield in the under-13s and has since proved capable of playing as a number six, number eight or number 10 in midfield.

Personality-wise, Nicoll-Jazuli is said to be friendly, confident, energetic and chatty, while part of his success has been down to doing extra running in the Blackheath area.

His involvement in first-team training before the match against Ajax in the Champions League highlights how highly rated he is.

It also raises the question of whether he could make his debut this season - and if Nicoll-Jazuli makes his senior debut before May, he could become Chelsea's youngest ever player.