Levi Colwill will become one of the best centre-backs in the world, according to one former Chelsea star.
The young defender has started the season in fine form – but will miss the Blues’ huge clash against Liverpool this weekend due to suspension after picking up five yellow cards in the opening seven Premier League games.
The 21-year-old was in action for England over the international break, starting alongside John Stones as the Three Lions took on Greece at Wembley. Unfortunately for those of an England persuasion, the hosts fell to a 2-1 defeat.
However, former Chelsea defender Ryan Bertrand is backing Colwill to become one of the best centre-backs in the world, and says the young star is already one of the best ball-playing central defenders available.
Bertrand, speaking at the launch of Ladbrokes’ “Gaffer of all Accas”, gave his view on the situation in England’s defence ahead of the arrival of Thomas Tuchel as the new head-coach. And he picked out Colwill in the “best partnership” the country can have at centre-back alongside Stones.
“If you’re an English left-back, playing in the Premier League right now, and you’ve just seen that international squad announced without a recognised left-back, you wouldn’t be too happy, obviously,” Bertrand said.
“You’d like to think you’d be in there, given how few options there are right now. It’s a real problem situation at the moment, in the camp; when I was in there, we were overflowing with left-backs, so it would’ve been nice to have been there now!
“But if I’m one of those left-backs who hasn’t been picked in the recent squad, I think I’d be working really hard because the door is wide-open for someone to come in and make that position their own. Anyone who has filled in has managed to do a job, but no one has really been at home out there. It’ll be interesting to see who emerges over the next 12 months or so, in that position.
“For me, the full-back areas are very, very difficult to fill; you know, on one side, there’s a real lack of options, and then on the right-hand side, there’s almost an overflow of great right-backs. You know, you’ve got Trent [Alexander-Arnold] in there, you’ve got Reece James, Rico Lewis is doing well, and then, of course, Kyle Walker.
“The only area I can talk about confidently is the centre-back pairing; the best partnership, and the one I’d like to see more of, is the one we saw in that first game, against Greece: Levi Colwill and John Stones. In those two players, we’re talking about two of the best ball-playing centre-backs out there. Levi will become one of the best in the world, in his position.
“So the centre-backs are the only areas in that defensive that I can talk about, really – and they’re the most important positions to get right, to be honest. If you get those two right, and they remain consistent, then everywhere else should naturally become a lot more settled.”
