Why Chelsea should always thank Huddersfield Town for Stamford Bridge developments | OneFootball

Levi Colwill's loan spell at Huddersfield Town helped shape him into a Premier League talent.

Chelsea will always have Huddersfield Town to thank for the platform they provided Levi Colwill at a crucial, early stage in his development as a player.

The defender made the temporary switch to the Terriers in the summer of 2021, as he looked to earn senior experience for the first time in his career.

The centre-back had earned a reputation as a very promising youngster in the Blues’ academy system, and was already an England youth international at various levels, but had yet to break into the first-team squad at Stamford Bridge.

It was decided that a loan to the Championship was the right next step to take in his career at the age of just 18.

Huddersfield added him to Carlos Corberan’s side after the Spaniard had guided the Yorkshire outfit to a 20th-placed Championship finish in his first season with the club, as the Terriers continued to tread water in the second tier following their relegation from the Premier League in 2019.

Levi Colwill made huge impact at Huddersfield Town

Colwill made his Huddersfield debut in an EFL Cup first round clash against Sheffield Wednesday, earning a clean sheet in his first appearance.

A 0-0 draw and penalty shootout victory led to the Terriers safely moving onto the next round, giving the centre-back a good first experience with the Championship side.

He went straight into the starting lineup for Corberan’s side in their opening league game of that season, indicating his importance to the Yorkshire outfit from the jump.

A 1-1 draw against Derby County was followed by Colwill’s lowest point at Huddersfield, a 5-1 defeat at Craven Cottage to eventual league champions Fulham.

But everything picked up immediately after that humiliating result, with Huddersfield winning in each of Colwill’s next four appearances, conceding just once in the process.

The Chelsea youngster even bagged his first goal for the Terriers in this period, scoring in stoppage time to seal a huge 2-1 victory against promotion rivals Sheffield United, who had equalised just moments before through Billy Sharp.

Colwill cemented himself as a key part of the side over the rest of the season, as Huddersfield proved themselves as one of the surprise packages of the year under Corberan.

The club went from 18th and 20th-placed finishes in the previous two campaigns, to competing for automatic promotion back to the Premier League, with the Chelsea loanee’s performances being key to that evolution.

Colwill’s next goal came in a 2-0 win over Birmingham City in February, and by then it was clear that the Terriers were the real deal again.

While Huddersfield ultimately finished third, and missed out on promotion with a play-off final defeat to Nottingham Forest, the defender had done enough to prove he was ready to test himself in the Premier League.

Between his defensive prowess, and his supreme passing ability, the stint at Huddersfield helped shape him into an ideal modern centre-back fit for life in the top flight.

Levi Colwill’s rise to Premier League stardom - Chelsea will always owe Huddersfield Town

Colwill didn’t go straight into the Chelsea team upon his return to Stamford Bridge, as he went out on loan to fellow top-flight outfit Brighton that summer.

But he showed his quality at the Amex under Roberto De Zerbi following Graham Potter's departure to take up the Chelsea job, and was a standout part of their rise to a sixth-placed finish, with the Seagulls qualifying for the Europa League in the process.

His performances, which included 17 in the Premier League, led to him going back to Chelsea ready to be a part of their first-team, where he has since become an important part of first Mauricio Pochettino, and then Enzo Maresca’s side.

Unfortunately, injuries have plagued his time at Stamford Bridge, but there is no denying his quality when he is fit and available, with his 35 league starts for the Blues in 2024/25 highlighting just how important a player he's been for the club.

Chelsea have Corberan and Huddersfield to thank for providing him with a crucial platform very early in his career for helping to develop him into that quality player.

It didn’t work out for the Terriers following Colwill and Corberan’s departures, with both of them not returning after the play-off defeat to Nottingham Forest.

The club were relegated to League One just two years later, while Colwill has enjoyed success with Chelsea that saw him play in the Champions League and for the England national team.

If it wasn’t for his stint at the John Smith’s Stadium, then perhaps the centre-back never would’ve enjoyed the success of the Conference League and the Club World Cup.