Soccer
Chelsea defender Levi Colwill said he has “that fire in my belly” in pre-season after his injury woes in 2025-26.
Colwill missed the majority of the Blues’ last campaign after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during pre-season, only making his return in May.
The 23-year-old made just four appearances during the final month of the campaign, which included their FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City.
He played 38 games for Chelsea in 2024-25, helping them win the Conference League before lifting the Club World Cup in the summer.
Among Chelsea defenders that season, Colwill won the second-most duels (161), the joint-second-most tackles (34), and recorded the second-most interceptions (33) in all competitions.
Chelsea’s pre-season campaign starts on Tuesday against Western Sydney Warriors, and he is raring to go.
“I’m ready to go,” Colwill said during a press conference.
“I think having a tiny taste [of match action] at the end of last season gave me that extra motivation to come back to pre-season with that fire in my belly.
“I’m ready to go again now and push on from here.
“It was a really difficult time for me, with the injury. It happened on the first day of pre-season, and it was really tough to get my head around.
“But I’m a strong believer that everything happens for a reason, so I just tried to take it in my stride and work my hardest to get back.
“Thankfully, I’m back now, and I feel like I’m a stronger person mentally and physically, and I feel like I’m a better person for it.”
Debuting our home kit in Sydney.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 27, 2026
Colwill is also excited to play under new manager Xabi Alonso, who will take charge of his first competitive game on August 24 against Fulham in the Premier League.
“It’s an honour to play under a manager like him,” Colwill said of Alonso.
“He’s been so good so far, and the training sessions have been really enjoyable. He wants us to play, be brave on the ball as a team, and that’s what I want to do even as a defender.
“He wants us to express ourselves and have the freedom to play passes and show off your qualities on the ball, which is perfect for me as I like to create attacks and show off my passing range, which he allows me to do.”
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