Burnley v Huddersfield Town: John Terry the inspiration for Terriers loanee Levi Colwill

A gifted teenager still in the early steps of his career – which has already taken in international highs – the Huddersfield Town defender has also been schooled well in a football sense and possesses the mindset to match his considerable skills.

Much like his footballing hero in John Terry – forever a legend at his parent club Chelsea.

Speak to those in the know in the corridors of power at Stamford Bridge and they suggest the kid can go a long way.

Talk to his mates in the Huddersfield dressing room and they will vouch for that. As for him getting too big for his boots, perish the thought. It will not happen.

Colwill, halfway through a season-long loan at Town which he is embracing for all that it is worth, is a lad who is clearly determined to succeed.

Refreshingly, he is also a down-to-earth, humble individual who does not forget his roots.

During his football journey, he has surrounded himself with good people in good dressing rooms.

Right from his time at City Central, his Sunday team as a youngster growing up in Southampton where he used to play with close friend Jamal Musiala, now starring for Bayern Munich and Germany.

The education continued at non-league outfit Sholing, where his uncles used to play. As a kid, he watched the then Wessex League outfit win the FA Vase at Wembley, a venue he will hopefully grace one day.

Those memories left an indelible impression upon him. As does his time in Yorkshire.

Colwill told The Yorkshire Post: “I have been to Wembley once before and walked onto the pitch with my uncles. I must have been about 12 and I thought ‘Wow, this is it.’

“To hopefully play there one day and walk on as a player would mean everything to me.

“Sholing were a great team and three of my uncles play for them.

“When I grew up around them, I realised how much having a good team means and how much it helps as they did everything together as it was so close knit. It’s the same here.”

An imposing defender and impressive physical specimen, it is hard to look at Colwill and think he is just 18.

He looks every inch a man in a football sense already. Colwill would be the first to admit he has a fair way to go, but is coming along very nicely.

The cutting of apron strings at Chelsea and decision to head north to Huddersfield was not just about sampling ‘men’s football’ away from the sanitised and safe environment of academy football, but also about him gaining independence, fending for himself and maturing.

His time at Huddersfield is something he will never forget and always cherish. It has not just been a football experience, but a positive life one.

“One hundred per cent, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, especially being with this team,” added Colwill, preparing for his first taste of FA Cup action today.

“It will be tough to find another changing room like this and it shows on the pitch how tight we are. If something is not going right, we will get together and work hard for each other, that’s the main thing.

“Out on the pitch, I am working hard for myself, but also for my mates and the team.

“I am kind of like a sponge. Everyone is giving me advice and I am soaking it up as much as possible.

“The team are amazing, off the pitch and in the changing room. They are always talking about things and giving me advice and I take it all in and cannot complain about it.

“I know it is going to help me for the future. That is the thing about the lads. No matter what it is – even if they think I will not like the advice – they will still come and tell me as they know it will help.

“I respect them enough not to put my head down and think: ‘Oh, they are getting onto me.’ I think they are actually trying to help me.

“I am also happy off the pitch. When I am, I feel like I play good football. I live up here with my missus and everyone is different to ‘down south’. The only thing I can complain about is that it’s a lot colder, but I have survived!”

He is not just surviving, but prospering. Just as his hero Terry did during his own spell in the muck and nettles of Championship football early in his career at Nottingham Forest.

Colwill has the same Town squad number – 26 – as Terry did at Chelsea. That is not necessarily where the comparisons will end.

Like Terry, Colwill is aggressive on the pitch and likes a battle. Given the authority in how he speaks, he also has leadership potential like his idol.

He continued: “Growing up at Chelsea, they talked about him (Terry) day in and day out.

“Not just about on the pitch, but his mentality because he was a leader and helped the team out. As a defender, you looked up to him and it has helped me a lot in my career so far.”

Colwill has already come a long way since those early days with his mate Musiala in junior football in Southampton.

They would subsequently move from their south coast homes to join Chelsea, with Musiala – born in Germany before heading to England at the age of seven – returning to his homeland at 16 to join Bayern.

The pair remain close, they even share the same birthday. They are both now penning engaging stories.

Colwill said: “We still keep in contact and text all the time, just to make sure we are both all right.

“He is a good pal and I hope for the best for him, which he is doing now. He is playing very well for Bayern and taking the right steps and I hope that one day we can play again together.

“Everyone has their own journey and I hope he has the best one and he hopes I have the best journey.”