Oscar: I'm helping guide the youngsters

Leadership is not something you expect from a man like Oscar. That's nothing to do with his character and everything to do with appearance -- while Chelsea are used to big, if skillful, bruisers roaming around, 23-year-old Oscar somehow manages to look like a big-eyed waif on the pitch, a cross between something out of Dickens and Diego Costa's illegitimate child.

But that's an optical illusion. He's much bigger than he looks and plays far bigger as well: his discipline in an attacking midfield role is second to none, and his tackling style, drawn from David Silva's school of applied sadism, belies that baby face. Clearly, waifness is only skin deep. And so, I suppose, it should not be a surprise that he's been one of the ones helping to guide the next generation of Chelsea talent:

When you play so many games, as I have done in the last two years, for Chelsea and for the national team, and maybe the older players can’t play as much, it is helpful if I can use my experience.

I feel I can help the younger players. For example I’ve played with Nathan Ake now a few times; Andreas Christensen came in and played at Shrewsbury. Now they are looking to me. I like that responsibility.

Every time on the pitch I speak to the guys. If they lose the ball I say no problem, try again. It is important to help the young players. When I started playing the older players helped me and now I can try and do the same. But I have to say I’m not an old player yet!

Source: ChelseaFC.com.

Even when Oscar is an old player he'll look about 14.