In the absence of Moises Caicedo, who's nursing a knock, and Enzo Fernandez, who's no longer at Chelsea, Xabi Alonso has seemingly entrusted Levi Colwill with vice-captaincy.
Levi Colwill of Chelsea during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Chelsea FC and Hull City at Stamford Bridge on September 12, 2026 in London, United Kingdom
Levi Colwill for Chelsea.(Image: Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
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Levi Colwill has been encouraged to embrace his new leadership role at Chelsea. The 23-year-old defender has established himself as a key player under Xabi Alonso, captaining the Blues in the absence of Reece James, whose workload has been carefully managed in the early stages of the season.
With Enzo Fernandez no longer at the club, having swapped Stamford Bridge for the Etihad Stadium for a joint British transfer record fee on deadline day, and Moises Caicedo nursing a couple of knocks, Colwill has had big shoes to fill as vice-captain.
The Cobham graduate has featured four times across all competitions this season, donning the armband twice, helping Chelsea climb the Premier League table and reach the fourth round of the Carabao Cup. Although Colwill has made a great impression under Alonso, there's still room for improvement.
During an interview with BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest Premier League odds, a former Huddersfield Town teammate suggested that the England international needs to add another string to his bow in order to fulfil his potential as a 'top centre-back'.
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Fraizer Campbell, who shared the pitch 14 times with the Chelsea star during his loan spell at the Accu Stadium when the Terriers got promoted from the Championship in 2021/22, said: "Levi's a great character and a great kid.
"He was brilliant at Huddersfield Town, and you could see he had real star quality. It's no surprise to me that he's gone back to Chelsea, and after an injury, he's come right back in and steadied the ship.
Ex-Huddersfield Town loanee Levi Colwill(Image: Getty Images)
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"He's a fantastic young footballer who will continue to develop. Hopefully, he could be their centre-back for a long time because he's got all the attributes to play at the highest level."
The 39-year-old added: "I think the next step for him is becoming that leader on the pitch, maybe like another captain out there. When the squad's pretty young, and things aren't going particularly well, he needs to learn how to have others lean on him. I really think he can be a top, top centre-back.
Last month, Alonso described Colwill as 'one of the best in the world' in his position. The Chelsea manager told reporters: "I would say that having a proper pre-season has helped him in taking the right steps in the right moment, not trying to rush it too quick because of what he had last year.
"Even last year, he finished playing in a good way. And now, after pre-season, we are expecting that he feels well and that he's confident and with the fitness to have him at the next level.
"If he's feeling okay, he's for me one of the best centre-backs in the world, because of his composure, because of his presence. He's so complete, so dominant. Levi is going to be a key player for us."