Levi Colwill, Chelsea’s Club World Cup-winning England international, has taken some time to reflect on his journey, from his roots in the St Mary’s estate in Southampton, where many of his family still reside, to achieving success on the soccer field.
At 23 years old, Colwill has been sidelined for seven months following surgery to repair a serious anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury—one of the most challenging obstacles he has faced in his career. He’s been utilizing this time off to engage with books.
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This period has given him the opportunity to contemplate life beyond football.
“Because I’m expending less energy day-to-day, I find it increasingly difficult to unwind at night,” Colwill shared with BBC Sport.
“Reading allows me to relax. I set my phone aside, avoid social media, turn off the TV, and dive into a book.”
He has a preference for self-improvement literature and recently cited *Atomic Habits* by James Clear as a notable read, mentioning that while it didn’t directly contribute to winning the Club World Cup, it perhaps assisted him in establishing effective training routines.
Colwill has also invested a small stake in a digital reading platform that provides free access to 1,000 books for children.
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This initiative aims to combat a decline in reading among youths, as highlighted by The Natural Literacy Library, which reported that only one in five children read daily, with just one in three expressing a fondness for reading during their leisure time. The decline is notably more pronounced in boys compared to girls.
Colwill credits his own childhood experiences for motivating him to take action.
“I was determined to become a footballer, and nothing was going to distract me,” he recalled. “I was fortunate to have supportive parents who kept me focused and out of trouble.”
Much like Marcus Rashford’s campaign for free school meals in 2020, Colwill is eager to advocate for this reading service, believing it can bring about significant change.
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Currently, Colwill has rejoined Chelsea’s squad for what head coach Liam Rosenior described as “partial training” ahead of their Champions League match against Paris St-Germain.