Chelsea loanee Levi Colwill has risked backlash from the club's fans following the 4-1 defeat to Manchester United, less than 24 hours after helping Brighton qualify for the Europa League.
Colwill has spent the season at the south coast side making a big impression and has found himself at the centre of intense transfer speculation after hinting at a potential return next season. Although Chelsea rate him highly and have plans to include him under Mauricio Pochettino it hasn't stopped the player or his current manager Roberto De Zerbi from speaking out.
"Brighton have done a lot for me. They put their trust in me when others didn’t and I’m a person that loves to repay that. We’ll see. I don’t know what is going to happen [at Chelsea]," he told the Athletic in an interview.
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"It's been amazing - every part, on the pitch, off the pitch. I've learnt so many things. I've grown, not just only as a player, but as a man too, and I think it's due to the manager and the players. I've just loved every minute of it.
"I'm not someone to predict the future. I take it day by day, but it’s been an amazing journey."
The 20-year-old England youth defender also admitted that he forgot that he was a Chelsea player with several comments that have worried and angered fans heading into the summer.
Now, Colwill has upset even more after posting an image of him and Billy Gilmour online just minutes after the full-time whistle for Chelsea's loss at Old Trafford. Responding to a question from a popular online Brighton fan, Colwill said: "Brilliant!!!!!" when asked how his evening was going.
It is also noticeable, though may be a coincidence, that Colwill was holding up four fingers in the image he chose to post. He had also put up an image earlier in the day of him and Gilmour captioned: "Have a good day seagulls."
He is a man in demand this summer and De Zerbi is amongst those keen to see him remain at Brighton. "I would like to work with him for another two, three, four years, because it’s difficult to find another left centre-back with his quality," De Zerbi said of his player last month. "He’s a good guy. I think he’s improving a lot this year. His improvement has been fantastic. I hope he can stay with us."
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