Ipswich Town have announced Omari Hutchinson as their fourth signing of the summer, joining on loan from Premier League giants Chelsea.
The 19-year-old has recorded videos with the F2 Freestylers and wowed football legend Pele while playing for Arsenal's academy, yet he's an unfamiliar name to some Town supporters.
Football reporter Alex Jones reveals all you need to know about about the Blues' latest recruit...
A glittering youth career
Hutchinson started his youth career at the age of five when he joined Chelsea, but he moved on to Charlton Athletic four years later when he was scouted in the club’s car park playing football while his brother, Oshaye, was training with their under-15’s.
READ MORE: Hutchinson signs for Blues
He departed the club two years later, but failed to find a new home after trials with Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford due to the fact that Charlton had placed a £6,000 compensation fee on the 10-year-old’s head. It led to him taking a year-long break from football, allowing him to play futsal with his friends instead.
“Having that time off really helped me develop as a kid because there was less pressure,” Hutchinson told GOAL.
“I was just working on myself, doing my thing at futsal.
“I worked on my technique and my weaker right foot. It really helped.”
Soon after, his father received a call from Arsenal, inviting him to another trial. He impressed, and was subsequently signed to their under-12’s team as a result, initially starting off as a left-back.
Impressing Pele and shining with the F2 Freestylers
Hutchinson took part in the Pele Tournament, where youth teams from around the world competed against each other in South London.
The players were met by a British freestyle duo called the F2 Freestylers after the competition, with one member of each team brought up to do a skill in front of the other groups. There, Hutchinson was able to wow the late Brazilian legend, who revealed his admiration for the youngster afterwards.
READ MORE: McKenna and Ashton on Hutchinson deal
The F2 Freestylers got in contact with his family that evening, arranging to record a video of his football tricks that received more than four million views.
Senior football
The 2023/24 campaign will be Hutchinson’s first full season of professional football, but it will not be his first taste of men’s football.
He signed his first professional contract with Arsenal in 2020 and was named on the bench for their FA Cup defeat against Nottingham Forest in January 2022.
Upon joining Chelsea, he was handed his first-team debut by Graham Potter in January 2023, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 1-0 home defeat against Manchester City.
International appearances
Born in Redhill, England, Hutchinson featured for the Three Lions at under-17 and under-19 level, making four appearances in total.
He ended up switching allegiances in 2022, joining up with the Jamaican national team.
He made his first official start for the Reggae Boyz in a 1-0 defeat to Trinidad and Tobago in March 2023.
Versatility
Versatility is a crucial part of Kieran McKenna’s philosophy, so it will help that Hutchinson can play in a variety of different positions.
He is a natural attacking midfielder, preferring to play in the no.10 role like Conor Chaplin.
However, he can also cover both flanks, meaning that he could cover the likes of Wes Burns and Nathan Broadhead next season.
Of course, he'll be expecting to play regular football throughout the campaign rather than sitting on the bench, so it remains to be seen as to what position McKenna regards as his best.
Familiar surroundings
Some Town supporters will be familiar with Hutchinson, who has already played at Portman Road once before.
During his time at Arsenal, he helped the under-21’s come from two goals down to secure a 2-2 draw against the Blues in the Papa John’s Trophy back in December 2021.
He then scored the winning goal in the penalty shootout, sending the young Gunners to the round of 16 as a result.
What his coaches have said
Mark Robinson, who is the head coach of Chelsea’s development squad, believes that Hutchinson will be able to play at the highest level if he has the right support around him.
"Omari has been fantastic,” he said. “When you are a young player, and you make that change of club, there is a lot of pressure on you.
"When he first came in, he probably felt that pressure, the big expectations on him moving from Arsenal and coming across to Chelsea. I think, in his early performances, there was that pressure.
“But as time has gone on, you are seeing him relaxing more and more, and he is really starting to show the player he is going to be.
"I am really pleased with him. For us as a club, it's just a case of helping him overcome that expectancy and pressure when things aren't quite coming off for him.
“I think we have done that, and he will agree we have done that well. We are now starting to see what a talented lad he is.
"We have a really good relationship. We talk regularly. He is just focused on where he wants to go and how he is going to get there. He is a really humble character. He is great to work with."
Chelsea academy manager and former head of youth recruitment Jim Fraser was delighted to secure his return from Arsenal, explaining: “He [Hutchinson] is a brilliant addition who joins us as an exciting emerging talent hoping to make a quick impression in the senior game."
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