It will be the Academy midfielder’s third season in League One following recent loan spells at Shrewsbury Town and Bristol Rovers.The 22-year-old has been with Chelsea since Under-9s level, progressing through the ranks at Cobham in the same team as Mason Mount and Trevoh Chalobah. A striker and wideman in the younger age groups, McCormick eventually settled into a central midfield role when he became a scholar, quickly developing both his leadership skills and goalscoring ability from deep.He was part of the youth team side that won a clean sweep of three domestic trophies under Jody Morris’s guidance in 2016/17 and also starred on the European stage, contributing to 13 goals and assists combined across two seasons for our Under-19s in the UEFA Youth League.

McCormick’s first experience of senior football came in 2019/20 when he spent the first half of the campaign on loan at Shrewsbury, where he made eight appearances across all competitions before returning to play a part in our Premier League 2 title triumph.Having appeared as a substitute in the men’s first team pre-season game at Brighton in August 2020, he moved on loan to Bristol Rovers, where he was almost unmoved in midfield making 42 appearances and scoring six goals, one of which was voted the League One Goal of the Month for January.Unfortunately, his efforts in Bristol could not save the Gas from relegation to the fourth tier. He now makes the short trip to Wimbledon, who finished 19th in League One last term.In other news, Academy defender Charlie Wiggett has completed a permanent transfer to Newcastle United. The teenager made 23 appearances for our Under-18s in 2020/21 and departs following four years at the club.We thank both Luke and Charlie for their service to Chelsea and wish them all the best in their future careers.James Simmonds, Under-18s assistant coach, is to spend part of the 2021/22 season on secondment at AFC Wimbledon. Working closely with first team head coach Mark Robinson, Simmonds will help to strengthen the relationship between our Academy and the League One club, while also developing his own skillset in a senior football environment.Andy Ross, a former Chelsea Academy player like Simmonds, will step up from the Under-16s to assist Ed Brand in our youth team set-up.