Seen by many as the heir to Ashley Cole as the long-term England left-back, Ben Chilwell of Leicester City has many admirers. Having already managed to form a long-term position for himself at his local club, Chilwell could be set for even greater things in 2020.
Having now shown without doubt why he was the consideration to Andrew Robertson at Liverpool, Chilwell has many admirers; including both Manchester clubs and Chelsea. Wherever he goes next, though, England has a very exciting full-back on their hands.
What makes Ben Chilwell stand out?
More or less everything. Solid in the air for someone of his height, he’s a solid defender who rarely goes to ground. He likes to win the ball back cleanly and fairly. On top of that, he’s got an excellent left foot and can zip in crosses with pace and also with power. He has great variety in his play, allowing for numerous different attacking outlets for the Leicester forwards.
Without doubt, he’s one of the soundest passers in the defensive side of the game in England. His ball retention is excellent, though it can lead to some issues (see below). Overall, though, his athleticism paired with his reading of the game makes Chilwell a very exciting prospect indeed.
What does Ben Chilwell need to work on?
This has become a very common feature in his game, but Chilwell has to learn to release the ball. In recent games, Foxes fans have got on his back for either holding onto the ball for too long or passing backwards. It’s a part of being young and somewhat indecisive. However, for Chilwell, this will need to be improved upon if he’s going to take that next step.
He’s got everything else, but his timing of when to release the ball must improve.