Captain Colwill backs Cardiff for League One title

Rubin Colwill can sometimes seem like a player who is destined to forever be talked about as a star of the future, a talent of huge – if unfulfilled – potential.

At 23 years old, he is hardly a grizzled old veteran but, with more than 150 Cardiff City appearances to his name, Colwill is no novice either.

Great expectations have followed the attacking midfielder since he first broke into the Bluebirds' first team as an 18-year-old in 2021 and the hype only intensified when he was named in Wales' squad for the European Championship later that year.

It was easy to see why there was such excitement. Here was a physically imposing teenager who could dribble past an opponent, play an incisive pass or pick out the top corner with a long-range missile.

Jurgen Klopp, whose Liverpool side he scored against during an FA Cup tie at Anfield, was among those to express their admiration for Colwill.

But his progress has been frustratingly stop-start since then.

There have been growing pains – literally, with a late growth spurt causing injury – and losses of confidence or form which have seen him drop in and out of Cardiff teams and Wales squads.

Now, Colwill is at something of a crossroads in his career and looks primed to grasp his opportunity.

Following Cardiff's relegation from the Championship last season, Colwill was named vice-captain to new skipper Calum Chambers, as voted by their team-mates.

As Chambers was suspended for Saturday's League One opener at home to Peterborough United, Colwill led his boyhood club for the first time – and rose to the challenge.

He scored a stunning 20-yard free-kick to bring the Bluebirds level in a 2-1 win, the highlight of a man-of-the-match performance in which he backed up his usual creativity and flair in attack with energy and grit out of possession.

"It was a great day. I think not just personally but I think for everybody involved," said Colwill.

"We all want to play exciting football, play attacking football, be on the front foot, win the ball back. We're all buying into that."

On wearing the armband, he added: "It was nice, it was a big responsibility.

"I thought through what I needed to do, what was required of me but yeah once you almost accept that responsibility I think it's almost freeing to have that on your shoulders and to try and help everybody get through the game.

"I think that responsibility, maturity is something that comes naturally when you're around it long enough. I'm probably one of the more experienced players in the squad now. So it almost comes naturally with time, experience, and I think it's just something that I like to do."

• Cardiff fight back to beat Peterborough
• Cardiff make Chambers captain, with Colwill deputy
• Latest Cardiff City news, analysis and fan views

Colwill was one of seven Cardiff academy graduates in new head coach Brian Barry-Murphy's starting line-up for his first game in charge against Peterborough, the youngest team the Bluebirds have fielded for a league fixture this century.

That faith in youth – with a further three academy products on the bench – was as strikingly in contrast to Barry-Murphy's predecessors as the Irishman's adventurous style of play.

Cardiff saw 11 senior players leave following their relegation from the Championship and have not yet signed anyone this summer, although they are targeting four new recruits.

The Bluebirds were in the Premier League as recently as 2019 and League One has been home to many fallen top-flight teams in recent years, including last season's runaway champions Birmingham City.

Whereas the Blues spent heavily – with striker Jay Stansfield alone costing £15m – Cardiff will not have those kinds of funds available as they look to promote from within.

"I think what we're doing is probably very different to what Birmingham have done," said Colwill.

"They spent a lot of money, brought a lot of players in and I think we've almost, not gone the other way, but we've almost trusted in what we've got is good enough, and it is good enough.

"I'm fully confident in every player in our changing room that we're capable of winning this league and getting promoted."

Colwill has spent his entire career at Cardiff and, although he could probably have joined a club in a higher division this summer, he felt a responsibility to stay.

"I like to be a part of something, and to be an integral part of what we're trying to achieve at my boyhood club is very important to me," he said.

"I think we can do something really special this year, use everybody this year, the academy boys, all the lads that have been here for two or three years, the ups and the lot of lows we probably had the last couple of years and turn it all around. I think it can be really special for all of us."

Speaking of special, Colwill's younger brother Joel made his first league start for Cardiff alongside him on Saturday.

"This has been our dream since we were like five, six years old, and to be able to do it together, I think sometimes we don't realise how rare and how special it is to be able to play with your brother," Colwill the elder said.

"Lots of brothers play for different teams and stuff, but to be able to grow up with each other, play for the same teams, and then do it for the first team is incredible."