Levi Colwill on John Terry comparisons & Premier League ambitions
By Tom Gott
Chelsea youngster Levi Colwill has admitted he enjoys being compared to Blues legend John Terry as he prepares for his first taste of the Premier League.
The 19-year-old has been sensational on loan with Huddersfield this season. The Terriers have sealed a spot in the Championship play-offs, but even if they fail to seal promotion to the top flight, he will almost certainly be playing top-flight football next season anyway.
Indeed, 90min understands that Chelsea are prepared to give Colwill a shot in the first team next season, with Thomas Tuchel ready to take a close look at the teenager during pre-season.
"I haven’t really thought about playing in Chelsea’s first team next season," Colwill told The Athletic. "I haven’t been keeping up with what’s going on with the takeover. I have just been concentrating on Huddersfield. It’s the only thing I can affect right now. I won’t be thinking about what I do next until this season is done.
“I think I’m ready [for the Premier League]. I’ve learnt a lot this year so the next step I hope will be in the Premier League with Chelsea, Huddersfield or whoever.”
Regularly compared to Terry, both for his ball-playing abilities and his shirt number of 26 - the latter of which is purely a coincidence - Colwill admitted that he enjoys seeing his name mentioned alongside one of the game's all-time great defenders.
“I’m not going to complain. It’s not a bad thing to be called the new John Terry," he explained.
“I haven’t made the comparison myself so the fans and media can make whatever comparisons they want to make, it isn’t going to affect me.
“John Terry is a club legend and leader, someone every centre-back at Chelsea should look up to. A great guy and player. I’ve not had the chance to speak to him too much. When he was around the academy building we’d have the odd little chat but it’d be more of a, ‘Hi, how are you?’, kind of thing, not on a personal level about football or things like that.”
On his shirt number, Colwill added: “Everyone is saying it’s because of John, but it’s because that’s the date of my birthday (February 26, 2003). It was my number when I was growing up, even if I was just playing a football game on PlayStation.
“When Huddersfield told me I was going to get the number 26 shirt it was perfect. Obviously, all the Chelsea fans started comparing me to John Terry. Have I thought about changing it because of that? No.”