Levi Colwill reveals why he wanted to stay at Chelsea this summer
- Levi Colwill opted to sign new Chelsea contract during the summer
- Brighton & Liverpool were both interested in emerging defender
- New manager Mauricio Pochettino played crucial role in player's decision
Chelsea defender Levi Colwill has explained it is the "respect" he was shown by manager Mauricio Pochettino from the first day that they met which has made him want to play for the Argentine at Stamford Bridge, despite interest from other clubs during the summer.
Having previously spent time on loan in the Championship with Huddersfield, Colwill enjoyed a breakout season during a spell with Brighton last season.
The Seagulls wanted to make it a permanent deal and, as 90min reported at the time, were prepared to offer a club record £40m. There was also interest from Liverpool, although Colwill always wanted to seek clarity from incoming manager Pochettino before making any decisions.
Now, having been called into the senior England squad for the first time, Colwill looked back on his early interactions with Pochettino as vital in him staying at Chelsea and signing a new contract.
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"He is a great manager, really makes me feel comfortable and allows me to play my best game," the 20-year-old explained at an England press conference. "The big thing for me is, on the first day I came in, putting an arm around me and showing me that he respects me as a person and a player. That allows me to work my hardest and makes me want to play my best for him.
"The majority of managers may just look at you like a footballer, which he doesn't. That's a big difference. That helps me play my best football. I know I’m going to improve. I can guarantee that. He's such a good manager and he will push me, he won't let me have any off days, that's what I need. If someone lets me go to sleep, I might just have a good day or a bad day. I need someone there to give me that kick up the bum and say: 'Keep going'. That's what he does."
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On this edition of Son of Chelsea, part of the 90min podcast network, Daniel Childs looks at the stats suggesting that Mauricio Pochettino is building a brilliant Blues attack. If you can't see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!