Pochettino tells Chelsea star to show he “deserves to play” following 6-year contract

Mauricio Pochettino confirms the starting role for Chelsea defender Levi Colwill with a warning to earn the right

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino confirms that Levi Colwill will be given a starting role in the team but has warned the defender of earning the right to get regular minutes.

This has come approximately 24 hours after Chelsea agreed on a six-year contract extension for the young English centre-back. That news certainly put his future doubts to bed.

Brighton, where Colwill was on loan last season, wanted to sign him. But, Chelsea rejected the offer. Liverpool and Manchester City have been linked with a move for the 20-year-old as well.

But, it seems like the defender is staying at Stamford Bridge and will get a chance to cement his place in the team. Here’s what Pochettino said about him (h/t The Athletic, subscription required):

“We assume that he is going to play. I was clear with him when we were talking for him to have the possibility to compete with teammates about who deserves to play. For sure, if he deserves to play he’s going to play.

“Of course, his possibility to play is higher because Benoit is injured and he is a left centre-back, but he needs to deserve it. If one player is injured, there are different kinds of combinations that can happen. He needs to show that he is ready to play and deserves to play.”

Having seen what he is capable of on loan at Brighton last time around, we can be sure of Colwill doing well in a Chelsea shirt from the first game of the season onwards.

We have to note that the defender is still 20 and may make mistakes at certain junctures in the game. As long as he is committed to the cause and playing well in general, the former would not be a big worry.

While Benoit Badiashile, a player similar in profile to Colwill recovers from his hamstring injury, it is a big chance for the latter to cement his place as the left-sided centre-back, be it a back three or a back four system.

More Chelsea News

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• Moises Caicedo and his agents will ask Brighton & Hove Albion to decrease their asking price
• Following the club’s agreement to sign Axel Disasi, Trevoh Chalobah is ready to leave Chelsea

The first game of the Premier League season is against Liverpool. There is a high chance Colwill squares up with Mohamed Salah. Not bad for the first task of the campaign! If he passes this test, it would keep him in good stead going into the other games.