Setbacks Are Not Dead Ends: A Look at Tammy Abraham’s Journey

In this latest post, we're going to look at the career trajectory of an academy graduate who lives out the academy dream, and how even the fairy tale stories can change. We're talking about a young striker who rose through the ranks of the famous Cobham academy, Tammy Abraham.

The Chelsea academy has long been one of English football’s most prolific talent factories. From legends like John Terry to modern-day stars like Reece James, Mason Mount, and Tammy Abraham, the club’s Cobham setup has consistently produced players who’ve gone on to thrive both at Stamford Bridge and across Europe.

Tammy Abraham football career artwork – striker holding Champions League trophy with Chelsea, AS Roma, AC Milan, and Beşiktaş club panels in the background.

The young Cobham graduate was among the few stars who lived their childhood dream of not just representing the first team of their boyhood clubs, but also making history by leading the club to its historic Champions League victory over Manchester City in the 2020-21 final. Although he did not feature in the final, he scored 12 goals and had 6 assists in that campaign.

Tammy Abraham’s journey is an interesting case study, full of ups and downs. From breaking through the academy and leading the line for his team to major injuries, his story shows how strategic moves at the right time transformed his career and took him on a path that wasn’t as straightforward as one expected from an academy graduate.

Early Promise: Breaking Through the Ranks

Tammy Abraham is a proud product of the Cobham academy, having joined at the age of eight. Tammy’s talent, coupled with his prowess in front of goal, showcased the potential of a true clinical striker in the making. At the academy, under the supervision of coaches who recognised his talent and worked closely with him, he developed the technical and tactical knowledge which, with his hunger and work ethic, saw him swiftly rise through the youth ranks.

In the youth teams, he played a pivotal role in their success, including conquering the UEFA Youth League and FA Youth Cup. Abraham scored more than 40 goals in a single season for the U18 team and was even recognised as the academy’s player of the year, which in academies like Cobham doesn’t come easy, especially at the youth level.

As he kept breaking through the ranks, he had various loan spells at Bristol City, Swansea City, and Aston Villa, which provided him the game time and exposure needed to hone his craft. He continued to turn heads and impress people with his performances. During his time on loan, he continued scoring consistently at both Bristol and Aston Villa, with Swansea being the only club where his goal return was humble. At Bristol City, he managed 23 goals in 41 appearances in the Championship. Similarly, he scored an impressive 25 league goals in a Villa shirt, becoming not only the first Villa player since 1977 to hit that mark but also helping them earn promotion back to the Premier League.

Following his return from Villa Park to Stamford Bridge, he had earned the vote of confidence by being handed Chelsea’s iconic No. 9 shirt ahead of the 2019-20 season.

The Big Stage: The Rise and The Turning Point

In 2019, Chelsea was handed a ban from signing players for two transfer windows following the findings of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, which held the club guilty of 29 instances of breach of Article 19, relating to the transfer of minors. The transfer ban meant the club had to look to their academy and current players to lead the team forward. Club and country legend Frank Lampard was appointed as the head coach who favoured youth development, which set up Tammy Abraham’s step up on the big stage perfectly, offering him the opportunity to lead the line from the front.

Abraham quickly made his mark, scoring a hat-trick against Wolves early in the campaign and delivering consistent performances that saw him end the campaign with 15 Premier League goals and 18 in all competitions, making him the leading goal scorer that season. His physicality, movement, and composure in front of goal added a new dynamic to the Chelsea attack, and for much of the first half of the season, he was undroppable.

His numbers and his breakthrough embodied the club’s renewed faith in its academy, with fellow graduates like Mason Mount, Reece James, and Fikayo Tomori all delivering standout performances for the club. Abraham, with his goals, became one of the central figures which helped the club finish in the top-four in the Premier League and as runner-up in the 2020 FA Cup final, which they lost to Arsenal.

However, the following season brought an unexpected turn. Despite a decent start, including a handful of important goals in domestic cups and Europe, Abraham saw his game time reduce significantly following Lampard’s departure and the arrival of Thomas Tuchel in August 2021. By the time the summer window had come and the transfer ban was lifted, Tuchel had brought Lukaku as his first-choice striker. Even with a sidelined role, he managed 6 goals in 22 Premier League appearances and 12 in all competitions.

By the time Chelsea reached and won the 2021 Champions League final, beating Manchester City, Abraham had not only lost his place in the starting XI, he wasn’t even included in the squad for the final. Despite finishing the campaign with 12 goals and 6 assists in 32 games, the snub in the final was pretty much the telling sign about his importance in the current manager's plans. It was a bittersweet ending to his Chelsea chapter, which started from scoring goals for the academy right up to the first team, even winning the biggest prize in club competitions. However, this journey mirrored that of many young talents who, at times, even when they live up to their potential, can quickly find themselves on the sidelines. Such is the nature of elite-level sports.

A New Chapter: The Roma Reinvention

Tammy Abraham’s move to AS Roma in the summer of 2021 wasn’t just a transfer, it was a statement. After a frustrating second season at Chelsea under Tuchel, Abraham faced a choice: stay and fight for his place under a manager who did not trust him, or bet on himself abroad. It was José Mourinho, the man who once managed him briefly at Chelsea, who picked up the phone and convinced him with a simple line:

“Do you want to enjoy the sun or stay in the rain?”

More than the weather, it was the opportunity. Mourinho had a plan. Roma needed a striker to lead the line, to become the face of a team trying to rebuild and fight for relevance in Serie A. Abraham needed a manager who trusted him, minutes on the pitch, and a league that suited his intelligent movement and ability to play with his back to goal.

He hit the ground running in Italy. In his debut 2021-22 season, Abraham scored 17 goals in Serie A, breaking the club’s record for most goals scored by an Englishman in a single league campaign. Across all competitions, he netted 27 times in 53 appearances, quickly becoming a fan favorite in the Eternal City. He wasn’t just scoring, he was pressing, holding up play, linking attacks, and showing tactical maturity that he hadn’t fully developed in the Premier League.

But his biggest contribution came in European competition. Abraham was instrumental, alongside fellow countryman Chris Smalling who had taken a similar route, in helping Roma win the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League in 2022, the club’s first major European trophy. Abraham finished as the second highest scorer in the tournament, by 1 goal behind Cyril Dessers. The image of him lifting the trophy in Tirana, just a year after being left out of Chelsea’s Champions League final squad, said everything about his resurgence.

The 2022-23 season was more mixed. He struggled with form and confidence at times, finishing the league campaign with just 8 goals and 4 assists. But even in a less prolific year, Abraham showed growth both in mentality and responsibility. He remained a vocal figure in the dressing room and matured into a leader for Roma’s younger players. Mourinho publicly backed him multiple times, reinforcing the striker’s value beyond goals alone.

At the very end of the 2022-23 season against Spezia, disaster struck: a serious ACL injury which sidelined him for pretty much the entire 2023-24 campaign. Abraham was able to make only 12 appearances for the club that season, with 8 of those coming in Serie A and 4 in the Europa League. It’s a credit to his ability that even after spending an entire campaign out with an injury, he was able to score against Napoli and provide an assist against Atalanta in the league. But, unfortunately, by then his trajectory had changed. Roma, under financial pressure and with new signings such as Artem Dovbyk, allowed him to seek a new environment where he could rebuild his form and confidence.

A Brief Pivot: The Milan Chapter

After three years at Roma filled with highs and lows, Abraham was ready for a new challenge, and once again, Italy offered the right opportunity. In the summer of 2023, he made the move to AC Milan, one of the most storied clubs in world football. For Abraham, it wasn’t just about changing scenery, it was about once again seizing the opportunity after his ACL-ridden season to put himself on the big stage and prove himself.

Where Roma had been about rebuilding, Milan was about competing. This was a club that had recently won the Serie A title and was consistently pushing deep into European competitions. Some would argue he earned that move purely on his reputation, as not many players in world football would be able to get a loan move to a club like AC Milan after the season Abraham had. The move came with pressure and the question: Is he still good enough? Will he find his form after this ACL injury, after a season where he already underperformed? But it also came with potential: the chance to be part of something bigger, in a system built to challenge for silverware.

Abraham arrived at Milan with the maturity of someone who had evolved far beyond the player Chelsea let go. While injuries delayed his impact initially, he found his rhythm midway through the season. Often coming from the bench, Abraham adapted well to Milan’s more possession-heavy game, often playing as a link-up forward rather than just a penalty-box poacher.

Though his goal tally wasn’t record-breaking, he managed 3 goals and 5 assists in Serie A, 2 goals and 1 assist in Europe, 4 goals and 1 assist in Coppa Italia, and 1 goal in Supercoppa Italiana, a return for a player whose campaign was again filled with constant injury setbacks. He showed flashes of the old poacher’s instinct in domestic cups and vital Champions League nights.

What stood out most, however, was how Abraham handled the challenge. This wasn’t a team built around him like Roma. But instead of fading out, he evolved once again, showing he could adapt his game to a higher tempo, different systems, and shared responsibility. For scouts and fans alike, it was a reminder of his versatility and mental resilience.

By the end of the season, with no obligation to buy and Milan unwilling to meet Abraham's wage demands, he was sent back to Roma who, now 26, was ready for yet another move. His next move would not be about status or spotlight, but about finding consistency and purpose.

Enter: Beşiktaş.

The latest chapter in Abraham’s career, who now, still only 26, has a fresh start and the chance to re-establish himself as a primary goal scorer. The Turkish Süper Lig, known for its passionate crowds and often more open, attacking style of play compared to the tactical rigidity of Serie A, could be the perfect stage for his attributes.

Beşiktaş, under the management of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, once a prolific striker himself, is known for his empathetic ‘man-management’ coaching style which centers on building strong relationships with his players by nurturing them and fostering a winning mindset. This could be exactly what Abraham needs to get the best out of him.

Abraham, being a striker who is excellent at attacking spaces in behind defenses and making penetrative runs, fits Solskjaer’s system perfectly, which often sees his teams launch quick transitions and counterattacks using wide forwards who drift infield to support a lone striker and a number 10, with advancing fullbacks providing width, creating overloads.

Having navigated the demanding tactical landscape of both the Premier League and Serie A, Abraham arrives in Istanbul with a wealth of experience and a renewed hunger. This move isn’t just about finding goals, it’s about reclaiming his status as an elite striker, proving that even after a career filled with unexpected turns, setbacks, and injuries, the best move might indeed still be ahead.