Happy birthday, Levi Colwill! To celebrate our defender turning 23, we reflect on his journey from an Under-9 in the Chelsea Academy to being crowned a world champion with the Blues.
It was down on the south coast that Levi's Chelsea story began. He was spotted playing in the same grassroots side, City Central, as Jamal Musiala. Both soon joined our Academy.
Levi moved through the youth ranks at Cobham, later signing as a scholar and inking his first professional contract in February 2020. His talent was evident to those who regularly watched our Academy sides and it was no great surprise that he embarked on his first senior loan at just 18 years old.
That was with Huddersfield Town during the 2021/22 season. The following campaign was spent with Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion. Having made the step up, Colwill was integrated into the Chelsea first-team squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
He became a regular and soon earned his first senior England cap. Levi was also handed the captain's armband for an away trip to Manchester United, a sign of his growing leadership. Silverware arrived at the end of the following season, with the Blues lifting the UEFA Conference League trophy.
Then came the Club World Cup. Levi played a key role and, like his team-mates, was hugely impressive in the final as we overcame Paris Saint-Germain to be crowned world champions. Unfortunately, that remains Levi's last outing due to a knee injury sustained in pre-season training last summer.
Yet at only 23 years old, there are still plenty more memories for the centre-back to make in the years ahead. Here, though, we celebrate what Colwill has already achieved on his Chelsea journey...