Chelsea defender Levi Colwill has claimed he can’t remember ever losing to London rivals Tottenham Hotspur as he progressed through the academy ranks at Cobham.
Having become a first-team starter with Chelsea this season, Colwill is set to face Spurs for the first time at senior level with his boyhood club on Monday night – the young centre-back had featured for loan club Brighton in a 2-1 defeat to Spurs last season.
“We had the best rivalry with Tottenham growing up,” told Chelsea’s club media. “I can’t really remember if they ever beat us. Playing against them home or away, we knew it was going to be a fight and we really enjoyed it.
“I remember once at Under-16s we played them in a cup game on the match pitch at Cobham, and we nicked it 2-1 or 1-0 in the last minute. It might have been a handball and someone scored. They were going crazy and it was the best feeling ever! It shut them up. They were the better team on the day but we got the win and that’s what matters.”
Despite transfer interest from Liverpool and Brighton during the summer, Colwill eventually committed his long-term future to Chelsea with a new six-year contract in August.
Since then, the 20-year-old has played virtually every minute in the Premier League this season. It has been a rough ride in terms of results, but Colwill’s potential has shone through, earning him call-ups to successive senior England squads – he made his Three Lions debut against Australia last month.