Crampton is in his second year playing full-time in the Chelsea Academy, having signed his scholarship at Stamford Bridge at the start of the 2023/24 season. The 17-year-old joined Chelsea at Under-8s level through the club's development centre programme and, over the years, he has already enjoyed significant success with the club.

He was part of the Under-18s squad which secured the 2023/24 Premier League South title and was also in goal for the final of the Under-17 Premier League Cup, when Chelsea triumphed over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux.

The young goalkeeper has made a strong start to the current campaign too, delivering solid performances while featuring in goal for both Under-18 Premier League and the Under-18 Premier League Cup fixtures, most recently in Saturday's 4-1 win away at Millwall in the latter competition.

Before that, Crampton joined National League South side Hampton & Richmond on a matchday loan, featuring in their 2-0 FA Trophy win over Yate Town during the international break, stepping in while their regular No1 and fellow Chelsea loanee Ted Curd was away with the England Under-19s squad.

The opportunity gave him valuable experience of senior football while helping him build character in new environments off the pitch, as the 17-year-old got a valuable 90 minutes under his belt at a physically demanding level of the men's pyramid.

'It was a great experience,' began Crampton. 'I was glad to get a clean sheet, that was my main aim for the match, so it's great to give everything I had to the team.

'During the game I feel like I learned a lot about senior football and the difference in pace and aggression compared to an Academy fixture.

'The main aim was to gain experience in a senior environment of dealing with the pressure, not only from the pitch but from the supporters in the stadium. The setting does make a difference to the game, as I feel like it intensifies everything, so it's important to be able to block that out and remaining focused is crucial.

'But I loved it. I loved their supporters getting involved and hearing the background noise, it makes everything more exciting. Hopefully there will be more experiences to follow, as it's great to have an idea of the next level that I hope to play at.'

Crampton managed to keep a clean sheet in a victory in this FA Trophy fixture, having previously featured in Hampton & Richmond's 1-0 league loss to St Albans City in October, but that doesn't mean he wasn't called into action, with Yate having opportunities at the Beveree Stadium.

'There were some intense moments when the opposition had some dangerous chances at goal,' Crampton continued. 'There were two particular moments when I was pleased with my performance and I felt I did well to protect the goal.

'It was during the second half, so I had to make sure I remained focused, as well as composed, with men firing shots at goal with real power!

'One of them was from a headed attempt when the forward managed to pick up the ball when I was off my line, but I managed to sprint back and push out the effort.

'The second was from a scramble inside the area where I thought someone cleared it, but it deflected off someone's leg and bounced towards me, but I managed to scoop the ball up before it reached the back of the net.

'So I was pleased with my performance and felt that I showed my ability in intense situations, as well as being reliable. I enjoyed my time with the team and it's just another experience that has taught me a lot about playing in the senior game.'

Having returned straight back to the Chelsea Academy following that game, as he did for his appearance there earlier in the season, Crampton's focus is now firmly back on the Blues and youth football, shown when he started the Under-18s' last match against Millwall.

'It was a great experience being involved with the senior team,' Crampton highlights. 'The lessons I learned there could be brought back to Chelsea and carried into Academy games.

'Hopefully, I can continue to showcase my ability and development by securing more wins and more clean sheets in the upcoming matches.'