Chesterfield midfielder George McEachran and his character-building times at Chelsea

From rubbing shoulders with the stars at Chelsea to challenges on loan in Holland during the Covid pandemic, George McEachran had an eventful early career as a footballer.

He signed in at Chesterfield this summer as a seasoned pro shaped at least in part by his early years in football.

McEachran spent 16 years at Chelsea as a kid and he was still only 19 by the time he went out on lan to Dutch side SC Cambuur and then, not long afterwards, back over the North Sea to MVV Maastricht.

Cambuur are based in the city of Leeuwarden in the north of the Netherlands and Maastricht in the south eastern corner of the country, and the timing of those loan moves couldn’t have been harder.

"First time it was the start of Covid so the league season got scrapped,” recalls George.

"I think it was there for two or three months so I had to go back to Chelsea.

"I went back over about (to Holland) a year later and even though by then the Covid pandemic was just coming to an end, no shops were open, so it was difficult.

"I was just in a hotel ordering Deliveroo and things like that, so it wasn’t great off the pitch.

"On the pitch it was good. The standard was good but I cut that one short because the living outside of football wasn’t great.

“Was it a character builder? 100 per cent. It was tough but it made me stronger.”

Like his older brother Josh, who most recently played for Bristol Rovers, George was on the books at Chelsea at an early age and learnt trade there.

Later on he was an unused substitute in the 2019 Europa League final and although he left the club without making a first team appearance, he worked with some top performers.

"You had the likes of Conor Gallagher and Reece James there and they are all doing so well now,” he says.

“Reece is thriving in the first team and Conor went to Athletico Madrid and now Tottenham so I’m happy for them.

“When I trained with the seniors there were players like (Eden) Hazard and Willian were around. It was good to get an experience like that.”

McEachran left Stamford Bridge in 2023 and spent a year at Swindon Town before a two-year spell at Grimsby that brought a Player of the Year award in his first season and a place in the League Two play-offs last term.

The move to Chesterfield has suited him. He’s a regular pick for Paul Cook alongside Ryan Stirk and likes the style.

“Coming in from Grimsby, it’s a different way of playing but I think I’ve adapted well,” says the former England youth international. "I’ve enjoyed it and I want to keep enjoying it.

"I’m a player that, once I get on the ball, I want to make things tick and Chesterfield have a lot of the ball.

“Ryan is a very good player. I think we balance each out a lot. We are similar players as well in terms of our attributes. He does a lot of my running,” he adds with a smile.

Those nights in a hotel room ordering Deliveroo are now in the dim and distant past for George McEachran.

At the age of 26, he is coming into his peak years and that means winning some honours, preferably with Chesterfield.

“I feel positive about us,” he adds, speaking ahead of this weekend’s visit from Crewe which pits 9th v 3rd in League Two.

“I know some things haven’t gone our way but we are dominating possession and creating chances. If we weren’t doing those types of things then maybe I would be worried or concerned.

“I think is only a matter of time before it changes for us and we get the points we deserve.”

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