Most players whilst playing for Chelsea will be living in or around Cobham, or at the very least, in or around Stamford Bridge. You won’t often find them moving too far away from the stadium or the training ground.
Levi Colwill however, has admitted that he has moved back to his home City of Southampton on the south coast of England.
Fear not, he is not joining The Saints!
Southampton though, is not what I would call ‘close’ to Cobham, unless you have a private helicopter of course.
I know the Americans in our community will say that travelling an hour and a half is nothing at all. But for us English, on the busy A3 during rush hour, that’s a long old trek!
And this is the route that Levi Colwill has to take for ‘work’ now he has moved back to Southampton.
But to be honest, now he has explained it, I think we can all completely understand why he is made this decision, and as he says, it is helping him on the pitch.
“I recently moved back to Southampton so I’m around all the people I grew up with,” Colwill says. “Being connected with them again is what life is about for me. Growing up as a player at City Central with my mates was the best time of my life. I’m really happy I’ve gone back, seeing my friends and family so much more. That’s probably reflected on the pitch.
“Being in the bubble when you’re at your club is great but when you come home it’s more of a peaceful, normal life. I’m with people who have normal jobs, who work 8-5 every day. To be around them shows you their side of life and makes you appreciate yours so much more.
“I’ve moved back into my family home and I do the travel in every day. Everyone thinks the drive is worse than it actually is. It’s all right. No matter how long a day I’ve had, when I get back and see my dog and my mum, dad and little brother, it just means the world to me.”
My general rule has always been to never commute over 45 minutes for work. But then my work is not as a professional footballer, so I think that rule would be slightly bent if I was earning their money and going to do THE most favourite thing I can ever do in life, play football!
And if it is reflecting on the pitch, like Levi says it is, then we are all winners here.
I am very family orientated and I can completely understand this and see the benefits of it. I think it’s really nice that he wants to be close to his family and his dog!
Whatever helps the players is completely good with me.