Young Chelsea player Ryan Bertrand has signed for Athletic on a half season long loan. The left back is 18 years old and is a regular member of Chelsea's reserve side. Jose Mourinho has agrred that Bertrand will remain on loan at Boundary Park until January. The signing of Bertrand will put pressure on Stuart Giddings who has been filling the left back spot since he also came on loan and they will both be vying for a starting place on Saturday. The deal is believed to be part of the move which saw 16 year old Danny Philliskirk join Chelsea in the summer. Bertrand joined Chelsea from Gillingham for £125,000 in November 2005 and he went on to get England recognition at Under 19 level. Bertrand told the official website, "I can't wait to get out there and play league football and show people what I can do. I know Oldham are a very good side and just missed out in the play-offs last time so hopefully I can help them to do well in the league again. During pre-season I played for Chelsea in a tournament in Malaysia against some fantastic sides including PSV Eindhoven and Bayern Munich. AC Milan, Juventus and Boca Juniors were also there and it was a fantastic experience. Now my fitness levels are right up and I'm ready."
"As a youngster I based my game around Ashley Cole so it was fantastic when I got to link up with him and train alongside him at Chelsea. I was a winger as a youngster and seem to have moved back over time, but I still like to get forward wherever I can. I'll also be looking to learn from the experienced defenders like Sean Gregan and John Thompson while I'm here. Hopefully they can show me a few things and add to my game."