Chelsea defender Levi Colwill, who is currently on loan at Brighton, has opened up on the Blues’ appointment of Graham Potter earlier this month.
What’s the word?
Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano shared a video clip from Football Daily on Twitter in which the 19-year-old spoke glowing about the Stamford Bridge boss.
Romano shared these quotes from Colwill on Potter: “You could tell straight away from day one that everyone respects him for what he does… so I can understand why Chelsea have [sic] gone for him.”
Colwill has already impressed Potter
Fresh off the back of a season on loan at Huddersfield, the teenager has been loaned out once more – ironically to Brighton, where he was welcomed by then-Brighton boss Potter, who granted him his debut in England’s top flight (albeit a brief one) and spoke of the youngster’s “enormous potential“.
Having worked with the 47-year-old in their short mutual time at Brighton, Colwill’s verdict bodes well for Todd Boehly and co, who appear to have got it right with this appointment.
The 19-year-old finds himself in a better situation than Billy Gilmour did. The latter was sold to Brighton on a permanent deal, where as Colwill will be returning to Stamford Bridge in 2023.
If the English starlet can rediscover the form that he showed last season at Huddersfield, where he was their fourth-highest rated player on WhoScored, he may well get into Chelsea’s first team next year. His identity as a left-footed English ball-playing centre-back is a rare and highly desirable one, especially to a tactically astute coach like Potter who looks to exploit advantages in every position.
Colwill’s admiration for his former Brighton boss should also bode well upon his return to Chelsea, where he will be hoping to seize an opportunity to stake his claim in the first team.
During his season-long stint at Huddersfield, the 19-year-old was tipped for a bright future by former team-mate Jonathan Hogg who said: “Levi Colwill will go on to be a big talent – he’ll play at the top.”
Potter may well be the man to grant Colwill a prolonged opportunity to fulfil that prophecy if the youngster can continue to justify the glowing praise which has been thrown his way by the Chelsea manager himself.
