Long Live Lewis
Judging by the hype surrounding Levi Colwill, you might think he’d captained Man City to Champions League success last season, and not, as is the reality, played a bit-part in our quest to achieve Europa League football. For sure he’s good, but not that good. Not yet. So why the fuss?
‘Player playing for Brighton is highly rated and worth massive ££s’ has become a fairly common theme for us, particularly across the football void that is the summer transfer window - the 12th of August cannot come soon enough.
If you remember, this time last year we were subjected to the unedifying sight of Marc Cucurella forcing through a lucrative move to Man City, and then when even more money was waved his way, Chelsea. 63 million big ones. A world record fee for a left-back. We also sold Daniel Burn to Newcastle, for £13m.
And the season before that, well Arsenal initially thought they could prise away Ben White on the cheap, before accepting that negotiating with a World Series of Poker champion is a fairly futile enterprise: you pay the £50m fee, or choose not to.
With the exception of Dan Burn - although £13m seems about par for a Championship level centre back, with apologies to the Dan Burn fanboys - none of these signings could be considered fantastic value for money, or overwhelmingly successful (for their new clubs).
Marc Cucurella’s demise has been total. He left Brighton ‘to win trophies and force his way into the full Spanish squad’, Jordi Alba’s heir apparent (in his head). He’d do well to get a game in the Spanish Tercera División as things stand right now.
Ben White was last seen splayed on the turf as Arsenal’s fanciful title bid collapsed, and our top six ambitions became reality (Arsenal 0 Brighton 3, May 2023), spellbound and tormented by Kaoru Mitoma’s beautiful, delicate feet.
It’s worth remembering that Ben White was playing for England before he signed for Arsenal.
‘He’s an exciting young defender’ said Gareth Southgate, as he confirmed White’s place in England’s Euro 2020 squad (in May 2021) on the back of a string of superb displays in an Albion shirt.
Which brings us back to Levi Colwill, the latest defensive starlet with a stellar reputation (and a massive price tag), forged at the Amex.
When asked who of the newly triumphant England U21 squad could make the senior squad for Euro 2024 next summer, The Guardian’s Jonathan Wilson replied ‘Colwill, definitely, England have an issue at centre back which he could help solve, he’s very good on the ball, he would be an obvious one’.
Wow! One full season with Brighton and he’s already ‘an obvious’ selection for an England tournament squad. You are very welcome, Levi.
Ben White, Marc Cucurella, and now Levi Colwill - players extremely highly rated, worth millions, or sold for millions.
What do these players share as a common denominator (other than exposure to the all-round excellence of BHAFC)? The answer is Lewis Dunk.
Icon, leader and legend, but also a nurturer of talent. There isn’t a player he’s played alongside who hasn’t improved, or who hasn’t publicly praised his qualities.
‘When I play next to him and see some of the things he does, it is mind blowing’ was Ben White’s verdict on King Lewis ‘he is one of the best in the Premier League’.
‘He’s a great player and a leader and his presence alongside me helps so much’ said Levi Colwill in January of this year, when asked about the impact of his captain ‘he guides me every day on and off the pitch… I think you can tell from my game that I’m maturing a lot quicker, I’m just grateful for his support’.
Little wonder that De Zerbi quickly recognised the very special talent he had at his disposal once he’d got his feet under his altar at Lancing. ‘One of the best five defenders in Europe’ was Roberto’s verdict.
Considering Europe boasts by far the strongest leagues in world football, for Europe you can read ‘the world’ and if you don’t agree with RDZ… then you are wrong.
And so perhaps we can afford to be fairly sanguine about the Levi Colwill situation, and his chances of playing for Brighton in the future.
For we have Lewis - for another three seasons, at least - and we have two highly promising young defenders to learn from his brilliance. John Paul Van Hecke and Ed Turns.
Van Hecke is progressing nicely, thank you very much. Compare and contrast his performance away to Leicester - on League debut - to his 90 minutes against Man City on the final week of the season.
As an aside, Van Hecke’s Dutch U21 central defensive partner (in the recent EUFA U21 Championships) was Micky Van De Ven, a player that Spurs are hoping to splash more than £30m pounds on. Van Hecke cost the Albion less than £2m quid… yet another victory for our elite recruitment department.
But my pick, if anybody is remotely interested, as the next starlet to be sold for a massively inflated fee, continuing the fine tradition of the Marc Cucurella and to a lesser extent Ben White transfers, is Ed Turns. Mae'r bachgen yn arbennig.
He’s the Brighton-born heir to the throne that Lewis Dunk currently sits on, although Ed has decided to represent Wales so will hopefully will be treated with respect by his national manager.
Physically strong, lovely passer of the ball, excellent reader of the game - does this remind you of anybody?
Turns picked up a League Two winner’s medal last season (out on loan at Leyton Orient) and will no doubt be playing a higher standard of football this coming season - he might even get a chance to stake his claim for a spot in the Albion first-team squad, who knows?
Wherever he ends up playing his football next - and remember you heard this here first - I predict he’ll supplant one of Chris Mepham or Joe Rodon in the senior Wales team before the season ends. Admittedly not the toughest of challenges, but still.
And should that happen he’ll have one man to thank, just like Dan Burn, Marc Cucurella, Ben White and Levi Colwill before him.
Long live Lewis, all hail the king.
Dogma Issue 10 publishes September 2023. The ONLY way to ensure your postperson drops a copy on your doormat is by subscribing.
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