News is breaking in the last few minutes that Levi Colwill has been upgraded from the England U21 squad to the senior squad following an injury to Lewis Dunk that has forced the Brighton centre back to withdraw from the group preparing to face Malta and North Macedonia in the upcoming Euro 2025 qualifiers.
It shows how close Colwill is to the England setup that a single injury has led to him being summoned to play with the big boys – and he makes his debut over the course of these two games he can really be considered a fixture in the group.
Simon Johnson, who reports on the news for the Athletic, does however note that Colwill will still return to his regular slot in the U21 team for their European Championships in Romania and Georgia.
It’s perfect timing for Colwill on the back of a superb season with Brighton. He’s now looking to prove to Chelsea and in particular his new coach Mauricio Pochettino that he’s ready to play in the first team this season. Getting a debut England cap is about as strong a way to start that process as any, and if he goes to succeed with the U21 in their games then he will have given Poch a lot to think about even before a ball has been kicked in preseason.
It’s a brilliant reward for a great debut season in the Premier League – and a regular England place at the back is very much up for grabs.