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Chelsea out-on-loan defender Levi Colwill has expressed his admiration for Blues veteran Thiago Silva and backed Graham Potter to excel at his parent club.
Colwill joined Brighton & Hove Albion on a season-long loan last summer with a view to getting regular playing time. He has had a mixed stint with the Seagulls so far.
The Chelsea loanee made just one Premier League start for the side before the 2022 FIFA World Cup break. He hit his stride after the resumption of the league, making five consecutive starts but suffered an injury.
Colwill returned to Brighton's first XI in their home game against Crystal Palace just before the recently concluded international break. Overall, he has made 13 appearances across competitions for the club, helping them win all but three of those games.
While the 20-year-old is yet to make his senior debut for the Blues, he's highly regarded at Stamford Bridge. The Athletic reported in January that Colwill is still a part of the club's long-term plans despite the Blues having several other defenders on their roster.
The Southampton-born player will look to use the experience gained from Brighton to stake his claim to be a part of the Blues' first team next season. At the London club, he will find himself competing against the likes of Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana and Kalidou Koulibaly.
Colwill is particularly a fan of Silva, who remains one of the best in his position despite turning 38 last September. In an interview with The Times (via The Metro), the youngster termed the Brazilian 'a joke'.
The defender also heaped praise on Chelsea manager Graham Potter, who handed him his senior debut at Brighton before jumping ship in September last year. Colwill backed the tactician to come good at Stamford Bridge despite having a tough start:
"Graham (Potter) is a great man. When he was here (at Brighton), I had loads of conversations with him, always guiding me the right way, telling me how he wants to play. I’ve not spoken with him since he left. I think he’ll start doing good things at Chelsea soon."
Colwill is in line to reunite with Potter next season.
How has Graham Potter fared as Chelsea boss?
Graham Potter ended his three-year stint with Brighton to take charge of Chelsea last September. Things did not go according to plan for him with the Premier League giants initially.
The Blues notably won just one game across competitions in January and February. However, things appear to be getting better for the manager as the team went unbeaten in March.
