# Ruben Loftus-Cheek
**Ruben Loftus-Cheek** (born 1996) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for [Serie A](https://www.edgepedia.org/serie-a) club [AC Milan](https://www.edgepedia.org/ac-milan) and the England national team. Born in Lewisham, London, he spent 19 years at Chelsea, coming through the academy from the age of eight before a permanent transfer to Milan in 2023.[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/ruben-loftus-cheek) • [2](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/goodbye-ruben-loftus-cheek)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1996, Lewisham, London; 6 ft 3 in (191 cm); right-footed[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/ruben-loftus-cheek) |
| Chelsea career | Joined as an Under-8; 155 first-team appearances and 13 goals; Premier League, Europa League, and UEFA Super Cup winner's medals[2](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/goodbye-ruben-loftus-cheek) |
| Breakout season | 2018/19: 40 appearances, 10 goals including a hat-trick against BATE Borisov in the Europa League, which Chelsea won[2](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/goodbye-ruben-loftus-cheek) |
| Major injury | Achilles injury sustained in Boston in May 2019 left him unable to walk for months and cost him a place in the Europa League final[2](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/goodbye-ruben-loftus-cheek) • [3](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/-i-feel-as-good-as-i-ve-ever-felt----loftus-cheek-on-starting-mo) |
| England | Debut 10 November 2017; 11 senior caps, 0 goals; four appearances at the 2018 World Cup as England reached the semi-finals[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/ruben-loftus-cheek) • [2](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/goodbye-ruben-loftus-cheek) |
| AC Milan | Permanent transfer in 2023; 71 appearances for the club as of February 2026[4](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c3wl4g1g7ywo) |
| England recall | First call-up since 2019, added by England manager Thomas Tuchel for games with Andorra and Serbia in September 2025[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/ruben-loftus-cheek) |
## Chelsea academy and early career
Loftus-Cheek joined Chelsea as an Under-8 and progressed through the club's academy at Cobham, where he won the [FA Youth Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fa-youth-cup) and the [UEFA Youth League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-youth-league). He captained the Under-18s to the 2014 FA Youth Cup final against Fulham, a match Chelsea won 7-6 across two legs.[2](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/goodbye-ruben-loftus-cheek) • [5](https://www.fulhamweb.co.uk/player/758/ruben-loftus-cheek.aspx)
He made his senior debut as an 18-year-old against Sporting in the Champions League in December 2014 and scored his first senior goal against [Scunthorpe](https://www.edgepedia.org/scunthorpe) in an [FA Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fa-cup) tie shortly before his 19th birthday.[2](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/goodbye-ruben-loftus-cheek) Under Antonio Conte he made six substitute appearances in the 2016/17 title-winning campaign, picking up a Premier League winner's medal with 11 appearances in all competitions; Conte had tried using him as a second striker behind [Diego Costa](https://www.edgepedia.org/diego-costa) in pre-season, a role ill-suited to a midfielder who had never played with his back to goal.[6](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/premier-league-loan-for-loftus-cheek) • [7](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jun/23/ruben-loftus-cheek-england-world-cup-panama)
## Loans and the 2018/19 season
**Crystal Palace.** A season-long loan at [Selhurst Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/selhurst-park) for 2017/18 gave him regular Premier League football; he made 25 appearances as [Roy Hodgson](https://www.edgepedia.org/roy-hodgson)'s side finished 11th. The quality and consistency of his performances there earned him a first senior England cap in November 2017.[5](https://www.fulhamweb.co.uk/player/758/ruben-loftus-cheek.aspx) • [6](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/premier-league-loan-for-loftus-cheek)
**Breakthrough and injury.** Back at Chelsea, he played regularly under [Maurizio Sarri](https://www.edgepedia.org/maurizio-sarri), particularly in the second half of the season, and scored 10 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions. His first Chelsea hat-trick came against BATE Borisov in the Europa League, and he also scored in the semi-final second leg against [Eintracht Frankfurt](https://www.edgepedia.org/eintracht-frankfurt) as Chelsea won the competition. An Achilles injury sustained in Boston in May 2019 denied him a likely starting place in the final and left him unable to walk for months.[2](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/goodbye-ruben-loftus-cheek) • [6](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/premier-league-loan-for-loftus-cheek) • [3](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/-i-feel-as-good-as-i-ve-ever-felt----loftus-cheek-on-starting-mo)
**Fulham and the Tuchel era.** He joined Fulham on loan for the 2020/21 season to rebuild match fitness, making 28 Premier League appearances and 2 FA Cup appearances under [Scott Parker](https://www.edgepedia.org/scott-parker).[6](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/premier-league-loan-for-loftus-cheek) • [8](https://as.com/futbol/2021/05/01/internacional/1619854804_252761.html) Rejoining the newly crowned European champions, he became an important squad member under [Thomas Tuchel](https://www.edgepedia.org/thomas-tuchel), who compared his style and movement to [Michael Ballack](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-ballack). Tuchel used his versatility widely, including as a wing-back, a role he filled in the Santiago Bernabeu against Real Madrid in the Champions League; he also played as a deep, playmaking central midfielder between N'Golo Kanté and Mateo Kovacic. In his final Chelsea season he made 33 outings, 21 of them starts.[2](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/goodbye-ruben-loftus-cheek) • [9](https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2021/oct/16/thomas-tuchel-relishing-the-puzzle-of-unlocking-ruben-loftus-cheeks-potential-chelsea-brentford)
In July 2023, after 19 years at the club, he completed a permanent transfer to AC Milan, saying in a farewell message that he thanked everyone associated with Chelsea who had helped him during his career.[2](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/goodbye-ruben-loftus-cheek) • [10](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/loftus-cheeks-heartfelt-goodbye-to-chelsea) He later said he had not been content with his role at Chelsea.[11](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66170271)
## England
Loftus-Cheek was an England regular throughout the development teams and impressed with the Under-21s under [Gareth Southgate](https://www.edgepedia.org/gareth-southgate), who called him up to the senior squad in November 2017. He made his senior debut on 10 November 2017 and has 11 senior caps with no goals.[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/ruben-loftus-cheek)
He was part of the squad at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he wore number 21 and made four appearances as England reached the semi-finals, and he was involved in the inaugural UEFA Nations League campaign the following season.[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/ruben-loftus-cheek) • [12](https://www.wk2022-qatar.nl/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/selecties-WK-2018-rugnummer-lengte-gewicht.pdf) He then went almost seven years without an England call-up until Thomas Tuchel, as England manager, selected him for games with Andorra and Serbia in September 2025 after his form in Serie A.[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/ruben-loftus-cheek) • [13](https://theanalyst.com/articles/ruben-loftus-cheek-england-thomas-tuchel-stats)
## AC Milan
He made 71 appearances for Milan in his first two and a half seasons.[4](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c3wl4g1g7ywo)
Injuries have punctuated his Milan career. On 30 March 2025 the club announced he had undergone laparoscopic appendectomy surgery for acute abscessed appendicitis.[14](https://www.acmilan.com/it/news/articoli/media/2025-03-30/comunicato-ufficiale-ruben-loftus-cheek) In February 2026 he collided with Parma's goalkeeper Corvi, leaving the pitch on a stretcher with a fractured alveolar process of the jaw and several broken teeth; after surgery at a Milan hospital he was discharged with an estimated recovery time of about eight weeks.[4](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c3wl4g1g7ywo) • [15](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/loftus-cheek-de-baja-8-semanas-f202602-n/)
## Playing style
Loftus-Cheek is a tall, rangy, technical, and powerful midfielder, 191 cm, whose strength on the ball and ability to carry it past opponents distinguish him from smaller attacking midfielders.[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/ruben-loftus-cheek) • [16](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/player-analysis/englands-one-watch-ruben-loftus-cheek) He has historically featured as one of the advanced players in a midfield three but is also capable of playing deeper, and he has filled in at wing-back and in defense; as he put it, he is comfortable in most positions and can play anywhere in midfield.[17](https://learning.coachesvoice.com/cv/ruben-loftus-cheek-chelsea-thomas-tuchel-michael-ballack/) • [18](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/loftus-cheek-on-anything-being-possible-in-the-premier-league-an)
His positional awareness lets him feel the opposition's press, and his strength and speed let him carry the ball into the next phase of attack.[17](https://learning.coachesvoice.com/cv/ruben-loftus-cheek-chelsea-thomas-tuchel-michael-ballack/) In league football across 2024/25, when he played a deeper role for the first time since leaving Chelsea, he played the fewest minutes (1,031) among England's central midfield options but recorded the best passing accuracy (90.6%) and duels success rate (58.1%) of that group.[13](https://theanalyst.com/articles/ruben-loftus-cheek-england-thomas-tuchel-stats)
## References
1. [England Football player profile: Ruben Loftus-Cheek, The FA](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/ruben-loftus-cheek)
2. [Goodbye, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Chelsea FC official site](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/goodbye-ruben-loftus-cheek)
3. ['I feel as good as I've ever felt' - Loftus-Cheek on starting more in the Premier League, Chelsea FC official site](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/-i-feel-as-good-as-i-ve-ever-felt----loftus-cheek-on-starting-mo)
4. [Ruben Loftus-Cheek: AC Milan confirm midfielder will be out for eight weeks, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c3wl4g1g7ywo)
5. [Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fulham FC player profile](https://www.fulhamweb.co.uk/player/758/ruben-loftus-cheek.aspx)
6. [Premier League loan for Loftus-Cheek, Chelsea FC official site](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/premier-league-loan-for-loftus-cheek)
7. [Ruben Loftus-Cheek's long road from stilted quality to England starter, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jun/23/ruben-loftus-cheek-england-world-cup-panama)
8. [Tuchel compara a su jugador olvidado con Ballack, AS](https://as.com/futbol/2021/05/01/internacional/1619854804_252761.html)
9. [Loftus-Cheek offers hint Tuchel Reboot can unlock his 'special' talent, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2021/oct/16/thomas-tuchel-relishing-the-puzzle-of-unlocking-ruben-loftus-cheeks-potential-chelsea-brentford)
10. [Loftus-Cheek's heartfelt goodbye to Chelsea, Chelsea FC official site](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/loftus-cheeks-heartfelt-goodbye-to-chelsea)
11. [Ruben Loftus-Cheek: AC Milan midfielder 'wasn't content' with Chelsea role, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66170271)
12. [2018 FIFA World Cup Russia squads (official PDF)](https://www.wk2022-qatar.nl/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/selecties-WK-2018-rugnummer-lengte-gewicht.pdf)
13. [Seven-Year Itch: Ruben Loftus-Cheek Returns From International Wilderness on a Mission, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/articles/ruben-loftus-cheek-england-thomas-tuchel-stats)
14. [Comunicato ufficiale: Ruben Loftus-Cheek, AC Milan official site](https://www.acmilan.com/it/news/articoli/media/2025-03-30/comunicato-ufficiale-ruben-loftus-cheek)
15. [Loftus-Cheek, de baja 8 semanas, AS](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/loftus-cheek-de-baja-8-semanas-f202602-n/)
16. [England's one to watch: Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Total Football Analysis](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/player-analysis/englands-one-watch-ruben-loftus-cheek)
17. [Ruben Loftus-Cheek: Premier League Player Watch, The Coaches' Voice](https://learning.coachesvoice.com/cv/ruben-loftus-cheek-chelsea-thomas-tuchel-michael-ballack/)
18. [Loftus-Cheek on anything being possible in the Premier League, Chelsea FC official site](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/loftus-cheek-on-anything-being-possible-in-the-premier-league-an)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of the British Isles (modern era) › English footballers 2015–present › Central and defensive midfielders*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license