Former Chelsea midfielder Jack Cork has said that he understands why it is difficult for the Premier League club to give its young players a run in the first team.

The 23-year-old, who joined the Blues at the age of nine, played at six different clubs on loan before permanently leaving Stamford Bridge for Southampton in 2011.

Chelsea's former director of football Frank Arnesen has criticised the club for failing to give youngsters a chance, but Cork has said that he understands their reluctance to blood young players.

"We had quite a good team, especially when Frank was there and Brendan Rodgers was doing the youth and reserve teams," Sky Sports News quotes Cork as saying.

"We had a good set of young players that have all gone on to play quite a high standard now so it would have been interesting to see where they would be if they had been given a chance.

"But at the same time, that was a time when Chelsea were doing really well in every competition they were involved in so I can understand why nobody was really given a chance."

Cork has played 22 times for Southampton this season.