What Happened to the 3 Brothers Chelsea Signed From Luton in 2012

It’s rare you see two brothers lining up for the same football club. Sure, siblings can both make it to the very top of the professional game, but they usually achieve that by representing different teams. Perhaps the best example of two brothers thriving at the same club is that of Gary and Phil Neville at Manchester United.

The pair of defenders won trophies galore at the Red Devils after progressing through the youth ranks. But what are the odds of THREE brothers making it at the same top-level club, you ask? Slim to nil, as Chelsea proved with some business they conducted over 10 years ago.

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Back in 2012, the Blues decided to take a punt on three young brothers at Luton Town. 12-year-old twins Rio and Cole Dasilva were snapped up for five-figure sums, as was their older brother, Jay. Gregg Broughton, Luton’s head of youth at the time, spoke about the deal at the time and revealed how excited the club were about it.

If all three had made it into Chelsea’s first team (which they didn’t), the price of the package deal would have risen to a cool £1 million. So, what happened to the Dasilva brothers, who are now all in their 20s? Let’s find out…

Jay Dasilva

Current team: Coventry City

Easily the most famous of the trio and avid fans of the English game will likely recognise the name. Jay, who plays as a left-back, is currently a regular starter at Championship outfit Coventry City, having previously spent four years at Bristol City in the second tier.

The 26-year-old played 13 times for England’s Under-21 side, although never made a senior appearance for Chelsea. He did enjoy huge success in the Blues’ youth system, though. Jay won three FA Youth Cups and two UEFA Youth Leagues between 2013 and 2016 which is not bad too bad at all really.

The defender even opted to represent Wales instead of England on an international level and was rewarded with a call-up to the side in 2024, making two appearances.

Rio Dasilva

Current team: Stotfold FC

Unlike his older brother, Rio wasn’t really sought after when he left Chelsea’s academy, which he did at the age of 16. The 25-year-old spent two years without a club, before being snapped up by Dunstable Town in 2018.

After a short stint with Dunstable Town, Rio moved to Hitchin Town – and spent several years with the club. In 2023, though, he left for Bedford Town, before jumping to Kempston Rovers and then back to Bedford Town in a matter of months. He then joined Southern League Division One Central outfit Barton Rovers, but wasn’t there long. These days, he calls Stotfold FC home in the Southern League Central.

Cole Dasilva

Current team: Bishop’s Stortford FC

Cole’s career has gone slightly better than his twin, Rio’s. He earned the right to stay at Chelsea for longer, making 18 appearances for the club’s Under-21 side. He then had a short spell at Brentford after leaving the Blues, before joining Croatian club HNK Sibenik.

The 25-year-old full-back then spent time at National League South sides Oxford City and Hemel Hempstead Town in 2022. Cole didn’t fare well at either, though, so he joined his brother Rio in the Southern League Premier Division Central by signing for Royston Town back in September 2022 and eventually joined his twin at Bedford Town with the duo winning promotion together. He now plays for Bishop’s Stortford FC, who compete in the Southern League Premier Division Central.

Interestingly, he opted to represent Wales over England, similarly to Jay and actually went on to play three times for the Welsh Under-21 side.

Jay Dasilva quite clearly had the best career of the brothers, carving out a nice run in the Championship where he continues to ply his trade today, but none of the trio really reached that heights that many expected of them when they switched from Luton to Chelsea in the highly-publicised deal over 10 years ago. They are all still fairly young, though, so who knows? Their story is far from over just yet, anyway.