Jesse Derry: Chelsea teenager says debut was dream come true despite head injury

Chelsea forward Jesse Derry says his debut was a “dream come true” despite being taken to hospital after suffering a head injury.

The 18-year-old was making his first start for Chelsea against Nottingham Forest on Monday, and clashed heads with opponent Zach Abbott in the 45th minute.

He received oxygen on the pitch before being taken off the field on a stretcher after a lengthy stoppage.

The club then confirmed that he was “conscious, talking and undergoing precautionary checks” in hospital.

He has now been released, but the club will continue to monitor him.

“A dream come true to start at Stamford Bridge for my Premier League debut,” Derry wrote on social media.

“I’d like to thank all the Chelsea medical staff, everyone at St Mary’s Hospital, my teammates, and all the fans for their great support. I can’t wait to be back playing in front of everyone very soon.”

Derry, the son of former Leeds and Crystal Palace midfielder Shaun Derry, was making his first start for Chelsea having made two appearances off the bench in the FA Cup.

He was replaced by Liam Delap as a concussion substitute.

Premier League teams are permitted to make one concussion replacement per match, which does not count towards their usual substitution limits.

Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White and Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez were also involved in a nasty collision in the second half, but Forest confirmed that their midfielder was not substituted for concussion.