When Levi Colwill first took to the Wembley pitch, he was eleven years old. Three of his uncles were with him at the time. He will do so with his Chelsea teammates on Sunday.
Levi Colwill can still clearly recall his first Wembley experience. The FA Vase, a competition for teams from levels nine through eleven of the English football league structure, saw Sholing take on West Auckland Town in the championship match in 2014.
To join his uncles, Barry, Bryan, and Marvin McLean, as a mascot, the Blues defender, who was in the Academy at the time, left practice early. Colwill felt the weight that comes with being in a Wembley final as he waited in the tunnel.
“I remember being nervous as I walked out with my uncle Barry,” he says. Everyone was so attentive and serious. It was sizable. I still recall how breathtaking it was to glance around the stadium. I simply told myself, “Someday, I have to come play here.”
Marvin’s strike in the second half made sure Colwill’s uncles departed Wembley with trophies. When Chelsea plays Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final this weekend, he will be hoping that family history repeats itself.
Colwill’s first final with the Chelsea first team is a historic occasion. It has great meaning, he explains. You are taught that this is a club for winners when you go through the Academy. It is a tenet of our ideology.
To win, we must thus get there and use every effort. That’s what you should expect from Chelsea, and that’s what I expect from myself.
Colwill enlisted in the Blues at the age of eight. He has a close relationship with the club. At the Academy level, celebrating success was a frequent occurrence. Now that he’s played in every game throughout our run to the championship, the 20-year-old wants to carry on that tradition with the first team.
I recall attending Chelsea vs. Tottenham at Wembley. The funny thing is, we had played Tottenham that day at their practice site before driving directly to the stadium to see the starting lineup.
To be in the position of getting ready for a final with Chelsea doesn’t feel entirely genuine. It’s a blessing that everyone knows what needs to be done. We must travel there, unite, and deliver.
For an English kid like myself, Wembley means a lot. I’m sure all the boys will be game, but if I can help pique their interest a bit more, I will. Although we still have a lot to prove this season, taking home the trophy would be a fantastic way to validate our efforts.
Colwill still has the gravitas of Wembley, but he has twice realized his childhood dream of performing there. His debut action was when he played for Huddersfield Town against Nottingham Forest in the 2022 Championship play-off final.
In October, he played beneath the arch for the second time as England defeated Australia 1-0 and he was given his debut.
It was incredible that my England debut happened so fast because I hadn’t given it much thought. That was entirely the responsibility of the coaches I played for and, naturally, the England manager. It was undoubtedly one of my favorite times.
As that young youngster, I wanted to play at Wembley, but it seemed so far away. I’m hoping to play there one more time, in a cup final against Chelsea.
For me, that would be significant. But the club is what matters, not me. We want to prove to Chelsea that we are victorious and capable of lifting trophies. That’s the reason we’re heading there.