Chelsea striker Levi Colwill says Huddersfield will change the odds in the league play-off final … as “the new JT” looks to impress Thomas Tuchel once he returns to Stamford Bridge after his loan spell .
- Levi Colwill says Huddersfield could alter the odds at Wembley on Sunday
- The Terriers face Nottingham Forest in the play-off final of the championship
- Colwill made 30 appearances for Huddersfield during his loan spell for Chelsea
- The 19-year-old has earned comparisons to Chelsea legend John Terry
By Joe Bernstein for The Mail on Sunday
Published: 22:30, 28 May 2022 | Updated: 01:21, 29 May 2022
Having spent his career in the comfortable environment around Chelsea, Huddersfield’s loan-out defender Levi Colwill is playing the disadvantage in today’s play-off final against Nottingham Forest.
Like Tammy Abraham, Reece James and Mason Mount before him, Colwill is proof that Chelsea academy kids can thrive in the toughest environment in the EFL.
The 19-year-old defender, who has won comparisons to John Terry and Rio Ferdinand, has been key to the Terriers’ unexpected rise, having finished 20th last season.
Levi Colwill has excelled at Huddersfield during his time on loan from Chelsea
Even now, many don’t like to beat Forest at form at Wembley in a £ 180million match for the winners. But Colwill is looking forward to proving again that people are wrong. “The decline was predicted at the start of the season. Now look at us,” he says.
“Even my friends were sending me tweets showing me different articles and trying to get rid of me. People who think Forest is a favorite for the final can think whatever they want. We’ll show what we have.
“Everyone seems to think Chelsea’s players are wrapped in cotton. Reece and Mason had it. I felt the same, but it went in one ear and out the other. Who’s to tell me what I can and can’t Can we do it? We are growing up hungry for Chelsea because you have to meet such high standards. “
Colwill has been christened the new JT at Stamford Bridge and is even number 26 for Huddersfield. In terms of style, it’s like a left-handed Ferdinand.
The 19-year-old made 30 appearances with the Terriers in the championship this season
Several clubs wanted him on loan last summer, but opted for Huddersfield after being impressed with Zoom by coach Carlos Corberan, former number 2 of Marcelo Bielsa in Leeds. “Chelsea guided me and I talked to Neil Bath [head of development] but they finally left me the choice. I’m the player, right? says Colwill.
“Huddersfield kept their promises, but to be honest, we are now in an even better position than we imagined.
‘It’s about dedication. No one notices how hard we work. During the season we have been improving. We did well against the best teams because we are a top team. “
Corberan has been a revelation, leading Huddersfield to third. He is unbeaten in nine games, in which only five have conceded. At the other end, the goals are shared, with top scorer Danny Ward in 14.
Colwill is expected to impress Thomas Tuchel when he returns to Stamford Bridge
Colwill’s ultimate goal is to reach Chelsea, but he would not close the door on staying at Huddersfield next season. A flight that Thomas Tuchel will tune in today, with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen about to leave Stamford Bridge.
Although Colwill had never played at Wembley before, there was a pet when his uncle Barry won the FA Vase with Sholing in 2014. “There’s a picture of us walking on the field,” says Colwill. I remember looking in the stands and thinking my uncle must have been very nervous, so I don’t know how I will feel!
He will have a lot of support inside the stadium, with 50 friends and family cheering him on. Parents Debra and Levi Snr will be especially proud to make the 460-mile round trip from home to Southampton to watch all the Huddersfield home games.
Whatever the outcome of the final, Colwill will join England’s Under-21s, where teammates Anthony Gordon and Emile Smith Rowe have impressed in the Premier League this season.
The youngster has earned the comparison to Chelsea legend John Terry, as both wore the number 26
You are likely to join them in no time. Wearing the 26th T-shirt, he says, has more to do with the fact that his birthday is February 26th instead of paying homage to Terry, or in fact Huddersfield legend Chris Schindler, who had the same number.
Still, Colwill hopes to chat with JT someday about what it takes to be a top-notch player. “I’ve seen John at Chelsea Academy, but I’ve never spoken to him in person,” says Colwill. “But I would like to talk to him about the game and life as a footballer.”
Colwill acknowledges that this is the most important game of his life. In the previous one, his Chelsea team was defeated by Manchester City in the 2020 FA Youth Cup final and he does not want to feel that pain again.
“Seeing the other team celebrating is not normal. It hurts your heart,” he says. “We can’t leave Wembley with any regrets. We have to give it our all and that’s what we plan to do.”