Former Norwich City and Ipswich Town boss Paul Lambert is backing Chelsea youngster Billy Gilmour to be a hit at Carrow Road.

Lambert won two promotions and kept the Canaries in the Premier League, before moving on to a number of clubs that most recently included League One Town.

The former Champions League winning midfielder feels Gilmour is good enough to force his way into Thomas Tuchel's longer term plans at Stamford Bridge - if he performs in a season long loan at his old club.

"He has a big, big future ahead of him if he can keep injury-free," said Lambert, speaking to Sky Sports. "Hopefully he is going to be a mainstay in the national team for many years to come.

"I know he is at Norwich and hopefully he does well there and then goes back to Chelsea a better player.

"He had to go and play games. I think being involved at the Euros gave him that touch for it. If you look at Chelsea and their midfield, dear oh dear you have to really push to go into that midfield at present.

"But if you are good enough you will get in. He has gone to Norwich to get those games and he goes back to Chelsea a better player for his spell at Norwich.

"He will know himself he has to really perform to get in the Chelsea midfield. That is the nature of it when you are at a really big club. No matter who is breathing down you neck, whether it is (N’Golo) Kante or whoever, you have to perform.

"Saul (Niguez) has come in and I always think there is two different ways to look at it. You either accept it and feel I am going to show Thomas Tuchel what I can do. If he can perform to the best of his ability at Norwich it will give the manager a headache.

"At any big club you have to look over your shoulder at who is coming in. If he accepts that, he’ll be fine. If he settles for mediocrity, then it won’t work for him.

"He has to believe that he is going to get into that Chelsea midfield."

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