The teenager has been at the club since the age of eight and featured in both Dublin friendlies as well as our most recent outing away at Reading. After being confirmed as our third-choice keeper for the coming campaign, he has now committed himself to the Blues until at least 2023.

‘It’s brilliant news, a very proud moment for me and my family,’ he told the official Chelsea website after putting pen to paper at Cobham. ‘I’ve been here since the age of eight so to sign a new contract that keeps me here until I’m 23 is a great achievement. I’m now really looking forward to the new season.’

Cumming’s new deal follows the extended deals signed by Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, highlighting the mark being made on the senior setup by the younger players in the squad. Many of them have spoken about their excitement about working under Lampard, a manager who proved at Derby County last season that he picks his team based on ability and attitude rather than age.

His words since returning to Stamford Bridge as our new head coach have also created a culture in which everyone feels they have an opportunity to impress and Cumming believes there has never been a better time to be a young player coming through.

‘It’s a great time for young players at Chelsea,’ he claimed. ‘We have a manager who is willing to put his trust in young players if they deliver and it’s been brilliant for me personally to get some minutes in pre-season.

‘The Reading game was a great experience because it was probably the most people I’ve ever played in front of and for the manager to put his trust in me was a massive positive. Playing in front of the Chelsea fans for the first time was brilliant.

‘We started well in pre-season and there have been lots of positives from each game but lots of things to work on as well and that’s what pre-season is for.’

Having worked with many of Lampard’s new backroom staff during his time in the Academy, our teenage shot-stopper feels comfortable in the environment he has stepped into this summer. He is able to talk with, and learn from, familiar faces as well as returning former idols.

‘It’s great to have Joe Edwards, Jody Morris and all the other staff I’ve worked with over the years around the team,’ Cumming continued. ‘They know me very well and I know them well so it’s easy to go and talk to them. It’s a friendly environment and everyone is enjoying themselves so it’s really good to be part of that right now.

‘There’s also Petr Cech back at the club and he’s great to have around, a Chelsea legend and another person I can sponge from and gain as much knowledge as I can. He was the best goalkeeper in Europe for a few seasons in my opinion and he’s a brilliant role model to have at the club.’

There is a prevalence of Academy graduates in the current squad that has almost normalised such an extraordinary passage from Cobham kids to the men’s first team, a rollercoaster journey spanning over a decade. When Cumming thinks back to his own development pathway and experiences, he smiles at the memories but admits he never imagined life between the (reduced size) goalposts as a Chelsea Under-9 would take him into the gloves of a first team keeper.

‘It’s pretty surreal when you sit back and think about it,’ he confessed. ‘When I was aged eight through to 15, I didn’t really play football with this goal in mind, I just played to enjoy it.

‘Over the past few seasons, I’ve not been too close to the first team squad but I’ve always been playing games for the Academy teams and now to have my chance to come over and try to impress is an amazing feeling.’

With four more years at least as a Chelsea player, now is the time to reset targets and Cumming believes he has a unique opportunity to continue his development this season working alongside such talented team-mates.

‘First and foremost, I just want to work as hard as I can every day and to push Willy [Caballero] and Kepa as much as I can,’ he said of his 2019/20 ambitions. ‘I certainly don’t feel out of place when I train with them, I feel like I belong in that group. They help me and always give me advice so every day is an opportunity to learn.

‘I might not play as many games as last season but I’m focused on the positives. Signing this new contract and being involved with the first team at such an exciting time is obviously brilliant for me. Training with the other keepers and all the world-class players we have here is going to benefit me a lot so I’m just planning to take the positives out of it every day.’

-Cumming could feature again for the Blues in our latest pre-season friendly against RB Salzburg tonight (Wednesday). Supporters can watch live on this website or on our 5th Stand app! Click here for details on how to watch the game.