Shaun Cummings
From TheChels.info - The Chelsea Football Club Wiki
| Shaun Cummings | |
| |
| Full Name | Shaun Michael Cummings |
| Date of Birth | 28 February 1989 |
| Place of Birth | Hammersmith, London, England |
| Position | Defender |
| Chelsea career | 2005 - 2009 |
| Debut | n/a |
| Games (goals) | n/a |
| Other clubs | MK Dons (loan) West Brom (loan) |
Shaun Cummings (born 28 February 1989 in Hammersmith, London, England) is a full-back who formerly played for Chelsea's Academy team.
Contents |
Pre-Chelsea career
Born around the corner from Stamford Bridge, Shaun joined Chelsea at the age of 10 as a striker.
Chelsea career
Shaun scored goals throughout the age groups in the academy, primarily due to his pace and height. But, as with most players who star in teenage groups, the real test came when he earned a scholarship and entered Under-18 football. He struggled to score, and wasn’t big enough to play the central striker role in a 4-3-3. He played well enough with Scott Sinclair but was very much overshadowed and his lack of scoring was a concern.
So much of a concern, in fact, that towards the end of his second year scholarship he was moved to right-back, a completely unfamiliar position, but one Chelsea struggled with for a while. He adapted quite well, his natural athleticism helping him out of trouble at times, but his reading and understanding of the game from a defender’s point of view was surprisingly good.
His third season was largely spent in the Reserves, again at right-back, although he occasionally returned to striker when the team had nobody else. At the end of the campaign he played centre-back for the Under-18s, indicating a full-time move to defence and allowing him to develop further there. He was actually impressive again in the heart of defence, and has been given another season at Chelsea to presumably prove himself as a defender. Through the years a number of players have moved back to become accomplished defenders, could Shaun be another?
In August 2008 Shaun went to MK Dons on an initial month's loan, which was extended to the end of the season. Working under former Chelsea midfielder Roberto Di Matteo and his Assistant Eddie Newton, who had coached Shaun at schoolboy level, he played at both right and left-back, but lost his place towards the end of the campaign.
At the start of the 2009-10 season he spent a month on loan at West Brom, once again under Di Matteo and Newton, but at the end of the August transfer window he was to sign permanently with another former coach, as Brendan Rodgers paid a reported £650,000 to take him to Reading permanently.
International
Shaun has not represented England at any level.
Career statistics
Youth Team Football
| Season | Club | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | ||
| 2005-06 | Chelsea | 26 | 4 |
| 2006-07 | Chelsea | 22 | 1 |
| 2007-08 | Chelsea | 2 | 0 |
Career honours
None
Post Chelsea Career
Shaun struggled to get into the Reading team, particularly after Rodgers was sacked. However, during the 2011-12 season his versatility and dedication began to pay off as he became a regular under Brian McDermott at right-back and an integral figure in Reading's promotion challenge.
He currently plays for Millwall.
