They say home is where the heart is, and while that may be true, for Levi Colwill, Chicago will always be somewhere in his heart.
Colwill joined the Chelsea first team permanently in the summer of 2023 after two successful loan spells with Huddersfield Town and Brighton & Hove Albion over the past two seasons.
Colwill was part of a young, exciting Chelsea team that travelled to the United States for pre-season last summer, fresh from leading Brighton to their best ever Premier League finish and playing a key role in England winning their first European Under-21 Championship in 39 years.
In Chicago, Colwill signed a dream six-year contract with the club where he first trained as an eight-year-old, with the option for a seventh year.
The highly talented defender took to the streets of Chicago for a photo op for the landmark event. While the 2024 US tour won’t return to downtown Chicago and Soldier Field this time, the Blues will face the Celtics, less than an hour and a half away, at Notre Dame Stadium in Indiana this summer.
“I have a lot of special memories from Chicago and obviously it’s where I signed my contract so it will always have a special place in my heart,” Colwill said.
“Someday when I go back there, it’ll be nice to look around and see the places I took photos and it’ll be a nice place to remember all the good feelings I had.”
He continued: “I have great memories of last summer, it was a really good pre-season for me and the team and of course I have memories of signing my new contract in the States so I can’t wait to get back.”
The Blues will again ramp up preparations for the 2024/25 season across the United States in late July, with the men’s team visiting five cities in five states and playing high-profile matches on each visit.
The first game will be against Wrexham at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on July 24th, followed by a trip to Notre Dame Stadium to face Celtic on July 27th.
The third fixture will be against Club America at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, before facing Manchester City at the Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on August 3.
The men’s tour will conclude on August 6 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, against reigning Champions League champions Real Madrid.
And Colwill can’t wait to meet Blues fans in America again.
“It’s amazing the number of fans and the way they support us,” Colwill said.
“I think the biggest difference between British and American fans is the chants, but they’re both really passionate. We have a lot in common and American fans are amazing.”
“It was a real surprise going there for the first time and meeting everyone. It was a nice surprise. Hopefully I’ll see everyone again this summer.”
Colwill has impressed for Chelsea in the first half of the 2023/24 season following his new contract signing last summer, earning his first England cap as a result.
A toe injury shortened his season somewhat in the final few months, but it was another impressive season in his fledgling career.
And the 21-year-old claims a lot of this is down to hard work in the US last summer.
“Touring last year definitely helped me settle in and get comfortable with the guys,” he explained.
“That’s helped me to play my best football so it’s definitely helped me since the season started and I’m hoping this pre-season will be just as good.”
“I think the games we have coming up are going to be really exciting matches and they’ll prepare us perfectly.”
