Ex-Premier League player’s son is latest graduate from Chelsea’s famed academy

Feb 18, 2026 - 14:00

Chelsea may have unearthed another future star in Jesse Derry – son of ex-Crystal Palace midfielder Shaun Derry.

The 18-year-old was handed his senior debut in Friday’s 4-0 FA Cup victory over Hull.

Derry got a taste of first-team action in the FA Cup win over Hull[/caption]

The forward came on as a 77th-minute replacement for Estevao and although his appearance was only a cameo, there was enough evidence to suggest that a future role in the first team is a possibility.

Derry, an England Under-19 international, began his football education in Crystal Palace’s academy.

He was named Palace’s U18s player of the season in the 2023/24 campaign after scoring 16 goals in 22 appearances.

And that promise prompted the Blues to acquire the young star on a four-year contract in 2025.

An impressive start

The recent arrival of Liam Rosenior as Chelsea boss appears to have fast tracked Derry’s first-team debut and talkSPORT’s Jason Cundy was impressed with how the forward imposed himself against the Tigers.

“I’m pleased for Jesse Derry,” former Blues defender Cundy told talkSPORT’s Inside Chelsea show.

“I know his dad very well, I messaged him before and after the game. A very proud moment for the Derry family.

“I actually thought he did very well. You want to see kids given the opportunity and it was almost the perfect time to bring him on.”

Player profile

Derry knows all about making an immediate splash having done so shortly after his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

He netted on his debut for Chelsea’s U21 side in a 5-0 win at Newcastle.

Liam Rosenior congratulated the teen after making his first Chelsea start against Hull[/caption]

His heroics haven’t solely been reserved for domestic action with Derry performing admirably in an Under-19 UEFA Youth League 5-2 victory over Benfica in September.

The teen went on to net an 86th-minute winner in the Premier League 2 against Burnley.

At international level, he represented England at the 2025 UEFA European U19 Championship.

In October, he scored for England U19s in a 7-0 win over Wales.

The following month he netted a hat-trick in England U19s’ 7-0 victory over Latvia in a Euro 2026 qualifier.

Derry has followed in the footsteps of dad Shaun who made 568 appearances as a player across a 20-year playing career.

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Shaun Derry enjoyed a fruitful 20-year football career

Despite spells at Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield United, Leeds and Portsmouth, Shaun is fondly remembered for his time at Crystal Palace where he made 222 appearances over two separate spells.

He achieved promotion to the Premier League with Palace via the play-offs in 2004 and repeated the feat with QPR in their Championship title winning campaign of 2010/11.

The 48-year-old hung up his boots in 2015 before venturing into management at Notts County and Cambridge.

The Crystal Palace legend has tried his hand in coaching and management since hanging up his boots[/caption]

He returned to Palace in 2019 as a professional development coach in the club’s academy system and was later promoted to first team coach under the then manager Patrick Vieira.

Most recently, he was brought in as a first-team coach under Gary O’Neil at Wolves but left the role when O’Neil was sacked in December 2024.