There’s a real bromance growing at Chelsea between two young English players who are establishing themselves as top options for club and country this season.
Levi Colwill were both in and out of the team last season, with a mix of injuries and bad form stopping either getting a solid run. This year has been totally different, with Enzo Maresca putting both into his starting lineup for the Premier League and keeping them there.
That’s allowed their footballing relationship to develop as well as their friendship off the pitch. Colwill is a left sided centre back while Noni plays on the right wing – but Colwill’s superb range of passing means they actually do need to have an understanding so that the defender can release Madueke on the counter or with a switch of play when the time is right.
Levi Colwill on Noni Madueke:
🗣️ "He's been good. There's a lot of trust in him, he brings something different to the team. As a winger, just direct all the time, and that's what you want, especially me, I want my wingers to get out the fullback and test them every time. That's… pic.twitter.com/fdiWzSGe6j
— Vince™ (@Blue_Footy) October 12, 2024
Colwill on Madueke’s development
Colwill has today been quoted speaking about his new teammate:
“He’s been good. There’s a lot of trust in him, he brings something different to the team. As a winger, just direct all the time, and that’s what you want, especially me, I want my wingers to get out the fullback and test them every time. That’s what he does. Everything he does in attack is down to him. We all know he’s going to beat his man nine out of 10 times. And I trust him. I can close my eyes when the ball goes to him sometimes,” Colwill explained.
But as well as the defender helping out the winger in attack, the reverse also has to be true:
“But defensively, as wingers and attackers, they sometimes lack that bit, and they don’t do it as much for the team as you need, which with him, it’s been both sided and for a defender, that’s the best thing in the world to see. I want him to score loads of goals and assists as a winger, he’s doing that stuff because he deserves it.”
