Footage Of Gordon Ramsay As A Teenage Apprentice Is Uncanny To Fans

Gordon Ramsay is the Scottish chef and TV personality known for running a restaurant like a smooth-sailing, albeit profanity-laden, ship. He's mentored so many up-and-coming chefs on shows like "MasterChef" and the new "Next Level Chef" that it's sometimes easy to forget that even a culinary powerhouse like Ramsay had to get his start somewhere.

However, Ramsay, too, was once an apprentice chef looking to further his understanding of culinary techniques and the restaurant industry at large. This happened, of course, after he had to give up playing soccer due to a nasty injury nearly four decades ago, per his 2002 article for The Guardian. Though a switch from playing soccer to starring on food TV may sound like a drastic switch, Ramsay credits his former coach for passing on his "firm" leadership style. 

Going back in time to see Ramsay as a kitchen trainee may feel like wishful thinking, but there is actually footage of just that — and some YouTube commenters say it's downright uncanny.

As a youngling, Gordon Ramsay apprenticed with Marco Pierre White, at the time the head chef and co-owner of the London restaurant where the two worked, Harveys. In a video posted to YouTube, one can see young White and Ramsay working together, including clips of the two making pasta and pumping out meals for customers along with other Harveys cooks. Users in the comments are rocked by Ramsay's humble nature in the video, as well as the distinct mannerisms that White displays in running a kitchen — and appears to have passed on to Ramsay.

In the video, White displays a strong, direct communication style as head chef. He curses at staff members to get the procedures right, creating a sense of urgency, just like we've seen Ramsay do in high-stakes shows like "Hell's Kitchen." Drawing a connection between the mannerisms of the two, one commenter wrote, "It's so strange seeing Gordon so silent and stoic knowing what he'll later become. Plus it's interesting to see who he got his sharp edge from." Though others in the video look to be a bit anxious, Ramsay does not, as one commenter notes: "Seeing Gordon calm is actually therapeutic." But still others say that despite the fact that Ramsay isn't yelling in the video, he's the same chef we know today: "Gordon hasn't changed an inch, still borderline looks the same and even at 19 he's face screams passion, determination, and focus."