Levi Colwill is thriving under new Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca after a key positional change since his appointment as head coach.
The 21-year-old has started all nine Premier League games this season. Colwill, for the majority of the matches, has paired up with Wesley Fofana, who has returned to the team following injury, at centre-back.
It’s a change in role this season for the England international. For the majority of 2023-24 under Mauricio Pochettino, Colwill played at left-back for the Blues, a position he could play in but wasn’t his strongest.
A switch to his preferred position in the team has been noticeable. Colwill has been much more comfortable at centre-back, and as a result his performances for Chelsea have improved already just a quarter of the way into the league campaign.
Colwill has stepped up to become a leader for Maresca, who recently revealed conversations had taken place with club captain Reece James to step up his leadership responsibilities.
The Chelsea players enjoyed life under Pochettino last season, however the club’s board felt a change was required to take the next step in their quest for long-term search, including a return to the Champions League.
Colwill has clearly been a player benefitting from the managerial change and his praise of Maresca offers a slight dig at the outgoing Pochettino for his use of the central defender.
“My role has changed a lot,” Colwill told the club’s in-house media ahead of their league clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
“I’m playing back in my natural position and the way Enzo has us set up allows me to play my best football, show off my ability and to play more passes into midfield to start attacks.
“As a team, the way we want to play is totally different. We’re not looking to attack as fast as possible, we’re making sure our attacks are calculated and we attack the goal when we’ve created the right space to put us in the best place to score. Things like that can take us to the next level.”
Colwill will need to be at his continued best against Man United. Chelsea haven’t won in the north west in the league since May 2013, and he is ready to put everything on the line to come away with all three points for the first time in 11 years.
He concluded: “Individually, I’m trying to put my body on the line more for the team because I know how much it means for us to win games and get points.
“That difference of blocking a shot and not going for it can be a huge difference. It can change results. As a team, we’re building bonds together and competing.”
