Former Chelsea wonderkid who spent 10 years with Blues wakes up unemployed as he’s released with ‘next Steven Gerrard’
SHREWSBURY TOWN have released former Chelsea wonderkid Jamal Blackman and ex-Liverpool prospect Jordan Rossiter.
Shrewsbury revealed their retained list ahead of the coming League One season and neither of the two made the cut.
Blackman, 31, joined the Shrews in 2024 from Burton Albion amid an ongoing nomadic career.
The goalkeeper amassed a mere total of 27 appearances since his arrival to the EFL outfit.
Rossiter, 28, moved to New Meadow on the same year as the former Chelsea ace.
The midfielder, who was sent out on loan to Oldham Athletic this season, registered only 17 appearances for Shrewsbury.
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Blackman was tipped by many to become Chelsea's next No1 after impressing within the youth ranks.
The keeper was with the Blues' seniors for almost 10 years after an impressive six-year spell with the reserves until he was called up in 2012.
But the ex-England Under-19 international never played for the first team and was released in 2021 after several loan stints with Middlesbrough, Ostersund, Wycombe Wanderers, Sheffield United, Leeds, Vitesse, Bristol Rovers and Rotherham.
Blackman now finds himself as a free agent after some unremarkable spells with Los Angeles FC, Huddersfield, Exeter City and of course Burton, which took place before his move to Shrewsbury.
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Rossiter poses as perhaps an even greater shock than the former Chelsea shot-stopper.
The former England Under-19 international enjoyed an impressive 11-year stint with Liverpool's reserves, where he even donned the captain's armband, until he was called up to the seniors in 2014.
The defensive midfielder stood out so much in the youth ranks that the Reds' legend Robbie Fowler tipped him to become the next Steven Gerrard back in 2013.
Fowler said 12 years ago: "Jordan Rossiter. Big shout, but potentially a young Stevie G. He's a very good player."
But the England legend's prediction never materialised as Rossiter only managed a total of five appearances with Liverpool's first team during a hapless two-year stint that was marred by injury.
That led to a move to Rangers in 2016, where he played under Gerrard for two years, before also competing for the likes of Bury, Fleetwood Town and Bristol Rovers.
He never lived up to the Gerrard tag, but he insists that wasn't the reason behind his unfortunate fall from grace.
Rossiter said back in 2020 when asked if all that hype added pressure: “No, I never saw it like that. For legends of the club to say positive things about me was great to hear.
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"It showed that they rated me highly but I never felt under any extra pressure or anything like.
"I never got carried away by it either. I was just thinking, ‘Next Steven Gerrard? If I have 10 per cent of the career Steven Gerrard has had then I will have had a great career’."
