Mauricio Pochettino backs Levi Colwill to lead Chelsea in future
Dec 09, 2023
London [UK], December 9 : Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has backed youngster Levi Colwill to become captain of the club after he received the captaincy armband during their game against Manchester United.
Colwill received Chelsea's captaincy armband for the first time in his career at the age of 20 years.
However, his debut didn't go as planned as the Blues ended up on the losing side. The Red Devils emerged victorious with a 2-1 victory.
Ahead of the Everton clash in the Premier League, Pochettino backed the youngster to take up the captaincy role in future despite his lack of experience.
While speaking to reporters, Pochettino said as quoted from Goal.com, "No. It is (only seen as) a pressure for (people) who don't know Levi. Levi can deal with it because of his personality and character. He loves the club, he came from the club (the academy) and in 4-5 months (with the first team) everyone respects him. He has the profile to be captain. We are building something for today but for the future also. He is a potentially massive player for the future of the club."
"My decision is about giving responsibility and a chance to learn. For him it is a massive test, to be responsible for the team. If we want young kids to become men and become great players, we need to trust them. I trust him because of his personality and character. Even if he doesn't get the armband again this season because we have Reece, Ben Chilwell and Conor Gallagher, he has the profile. From what I can see, he is going to be the future of the club," Pochettino added.
After Cesar Azpilicueta left the club earlier this summer, English full-back Reece James was appointed as Chelsea's captain before the start of the 2023/24 season.
Colwill has become a familiar face in Chelsea's squad as he has appeared in 17 matches across all competitions and scored his debut goal for the club in their win over Brighton and Hove Albion last weekend.