FOREST GREEN boss Mark Cooper insists the signing of Chelsea keeper Bradley Collins on a season-long loan is testament to how far his side of come.

The 20-year-old will compete for the number one jersey with Sam Russell.

A two-time FA Youth Cup winner, Collins has twice been part of the Chelsea side that lifted the UEFA Youth League title, playing alongside the likes of Rueben Loftus-Cheek, Nathan Aké, Dominic Solanke and Tammy Abraham.

Cooper said: “Bradley joining Forest Green Rovers shows just how far we’ve come. It’s fantastic that Chelsea trust us with their young player – especially one so highly rated by their team.

“He played their Checkatrade games last year, and saved four penalties against Oxford. We now have two great keepers and we’re all looking forward to seeing Bradley compete for games and play.”

He joined the Chelsea set-up at the age of 11 and has progressed through the system at Stamford Bridge, with his current contract at the Premier League champions running until summer 2018.

Over recent seasons he’s rubbed shoulders with the first team squad at the London club and was a regular feature in their Premier League 2 development fixtures – turning out against the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham and playing alongside Kurt Zouma and John Terry.

Collins also featured in Chelsea’s Checkatrade Trophy campaign last season, as well as their UEFA Youth League commitments, lining up in European clashes with Atletico Madrid, Roma and Porto among others.