Billy Gilmour facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Billy Gilmour

Gilmour playing for Norwich City in 2021
Personal information
Date of birth	(2001-06-11) 11 June 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth	Irvine, Scotland
Height	5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m)
Playing position	Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current club	Napoli
Number	6
Youth career
2009–2017	Rangers
2017–2019	Chelsea
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2019–2022	Chelsea	11	(0)
2021–2022	→ Norwich City (loan)	24	(0)
2022–2024	Brighton & Hove Albion	46	(0)
2024–	Napoli	12	(0)
National team‡
2015–2016	Scotland U15	1	(0)
2016–2017	Scotland U16	1	(0)
2017–2018	Scotland U17	7	(2)
2017–2019	Scotland U19	7	(3)
2018–2021	Scotland U21	12	(1)
2021-	Scotland	36	(2)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:37, 4 January 2025 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18 November 2024

Billy Clifford Gilmour, born on 12 June 2001, is a talented Scottish footballer. He plays as a defensive midfielder for the Italian club Napoli and for the Scotland national team. Many people think he is one of Scotland's best players. He is especially known for his excellent passing skills and how he plays in midfield.

Gilmour started his football journey at a young age. He spent a short time with Celtic before joining Rangers. At Rangers, he grew up in their youth academy. By the age of 15, he was already training with the first-team players. In 2017, he moved to Chelsea, even though Rangers offered him a professional contract. He played 22 games for Chelsea. He was also a substitute in the UEFA Champions League and FA Cup finals in 2021.

After his time at Chelsea, he spent a season on loan at Norwich City. Then, in September 2022, he joined Brighton & Hove Albion permanently. In August 2024, Gilmour made a big move to the Italian team Napoli.

Billy Gilmour has played for Scotland at many youth levels. These include the under-15, under-16, under-17, under-19, and under-21 teams. He made his debut for the senior Scotland team in 2021. Later that year, he was chosen to be part of the squad for UEFA Euro 2020.

Early Life and Football Dreams

Billy Gilmour was born on 11 June 2001, in Irvine, Scotland. He grew up in Ardrossan, North Ayrshire. His father, William Gilmour, was also a footballer who played for Ardrossan Winton Rovers.

Billy went to Stanley Primary School and then Grange Academy. At Grange Academy, he was part of a special football program run by the Scottish Football Association (SFA). He looked up to famous footballers like Cesc Fàbregas, Luka Modrić, and Andrés Iniesta. He wanted to play like them.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Rangers

Billy Gilmour first spent three months at Celtic's youth academy. He then moved to Rangers because it was easier for him to get to training. In December 2016, when he was just 15, he played his first game for the Rangers under-20 team. The next month, the first-team manager, Mark Warburton, invited him to train with the senior squad.

He was even given a squad number. After the manager left, Billy was twice included in the main squad for Scottish Cup matches. The next Rangers manager, Pedro Caixinha, thought Billy had a "bright future." He tried to convince Billy to stay with the club. However, in May 2017, Rangers announced that Billy would be joining Chelsea. Chelsea reportedly paid around £500,000 for him, with more payments possible later.

Moving to Chelsea

Youth Team Success

Billy officially joined Chelsea in July 2017, right after his 16th birthday. He started playing for the club's under-18 team. He scored a goal in his first game against Arsenal in September 2017. He even scored in his first three games! In July 2018, after turning 17, Billy signed his first professional contract with Chelsea.

First Team Debut

Billy Gilmour playing for Chelsea in 2019

In July 2019, Chelsea's new manager, Frank Lampard, gave Billy his first game for the senior team. This was a friendly match against Bohemians. His first time being part of a competitive match squad was in the 2019 UEFA Super Cup against Liverpool. He was a substitute but did not play.

He made his Premier League debut on 31 August against Sheffield United. He came on as a substitute in the 84th minute. On 25 September, he played his first full game, helping Chelsea win 7–1 against Grimsby Town in the EFL Cup. In February 2020, Billy officially became a permanent member of Chelsea's first team.

He received a lot of praise for his great performance in a 2–0 win against Liverpool in an FA Cup game on 3 March. A few days later, on 8 March, he started his first Premier League game against Everton. Chelsea won 4–0, and Billy was named Man of the Match. He played 11 games for Chelsea in the 2019–20 season. He also won the club's Academy Player of the Year award.

Champions League and Loan

In September 2020, Billy took the number 23 shirt for the 2020–21 season. On 8 December 2020, he made his first start in the UEFA Champions League against Krasnodar. He was a substitute when Chelsea beat Manchester City 1–0 in the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final on 29 May.

In July 2021, Billy joined Norwich City on loan for a season. He played 28 games for Norwich during the 2021–22 season. However, the team finished last in the Premier League and was moved down to a lower league. In June 2022, Chelsea extended Billy's contract until the end of the 2023–24 season.

Joining Brighton & Hove Albion

On 1 September 2022, Billy Gilmour moved to another Premier League club, Brighton & Hove Albion. He signed a four-year contract. He played his first game for Brighton three days later, coming on as a substitute in a 5–2 win against Leicester.

Billy started his first game for Brighton on 9 November. He played the whole match in a 3–1 win against Arsenal in the EFL Cup. He even helped set up a goal for Tariq Lamptey. His first Premier League start for Brighton was on 31 December, in a 4–2 loss against Arsenal.

After not playing for almost three months, Billy played the whole game on 29 April 2023. Brighton won 6–0 against Wolverhampton Wanderers, which was their biggest Premier League win ever. Billy and Brighton finished the season in 6th place in the Premier League. This meant they qualified for the Europa League for the first time in the club's history! On 21 September 2023, Billy started in Brighton's very first European match against AEK Athens.

Moving to Napoli

On 30 August 2024, Billy Gilmour joined the Italian club Napoli. He signed a five-year contract. Reports said the transfer fee was about £12 million, with more money possible later. His Scotland teammate Scott McTominay also joined Napoli on the same day.

International Career for Scotland

Billy Gilmour playing for Scotland U19 in 2019

Billy Gilmour played for the Scotland under-16s in 2016. He made his Scotland under-17 debut in August 2017 against Italy. He scored his first international goal two days later in a 2–1 loss against England.

He then made his Under-21 debut in a 1–0 win against France in 2018. He won an award called Revelation of the Tournament after helping Scotland finish fourth.

Billy was chosen for the Scotland squad for UEFA Euro 2020 by manager Steve Clarke. He made his full international debut on 2 June 2021. He came on as a substitute in a friendly game against the Netherlands. Billy made his first start for Scotland in a 0–0 draw against England on 18 June. He was even named Man of the Match by UEFA for his performance. Unfortunately, he later tested positive for COVID-19, so he missed Scotland's last group game.

Billy stayed in the squad for Scotland's 2022 World Cup qualifiers in September. He started all five games. His performances were highly praised. He won Man of the Match again in a 1–0 win over Moldova. On 17 October 2023, Billy scored his first goal for Scotland in a friendly game against France.

On 7 June 2024, Billy was named in Scotland's squad for the UEFA Euro 2024 finals in Germany. He came on as a substitute in the opening match against Germany. He then started against both Switzerland and Hungary. Scotland finished last in their group with one point.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Gilmour goal.

List of international goals scored by Billy Gilmour

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	17 October 2023	Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France	22	France	1–0	1–4	Friendly
2	5 September 2024	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	31	Poland	1–2	2–3	2024–25 UEFA Nations League A

Honours and Awards

Billy Gilmour has won several awards and titles throughout his career:

Chelsea Youth

• U18 Premier League: 2017–18
• FA Youth Cup: 2017–18

Chelsea

• UEFA Champions League: 2020–21
• FA Cup runner-up: 2020–21

Individual Awards

• Toulon Tournament Breakthrough of the Tournament: 2018
• Toulon Tournament Best XI: 2018
• Chelsea Academy Player of the Year: 2019–20

See also

In Spanish: Billy Gilmour para niños