Chelsea star Levi Colwill shows true colours with heartfelt gesture after devastating injury

Chelsea defender Levi Colwill has donated £1,000 to a non-league footballer’s fundraiser that is financing his recovery from a cruciate ligament [ACL] injury.

Jacob Gardiner-Smith of Southern League outfit Sholing FC - where is an associate director - has set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds towards the cost of surgery and rehabilitation, having ruptured his ACL for the second time in his career. He has also suffered a knee fracture and several muscle tears.

Gardiner-Smith, who spent time in the academies of Russian clubs CSKA Moscow and Zenit St Petersburg, sustained his first career ACL injury after making three senior appearances for Wycombe Wanderers in the 2019/20 season. It took 18 months for him to recover from the setback, by which time he had been released.

“I was told I’d never play again,” the 27-year-old said on his fundraising page. “I fought through that to get my career back on track only for this to happen again which has been very tough to deal with.

"Currently, football was providing my income as well as my coaching business and after suffering this injury I am unable to work in any capacity. Waiting for the NHS would essentially be the end of my career and would also mean I couldn’t work for over a year too. Any donations would be sincerely appreciated.”

Gardiner-Smith says the cost of private surgery and rehabilitation, including consultation bills, will exceed £10,000. star Colwill .

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At the time of writing, the fundraiser for Gardiner-Smith - the grandson of former Queen’s Park footballer John Gardiner, who later coached a young Sir Alex Ferguson, and son of Brent West MP Barry Gardiner - has accumulated £1,850.

Colwill joined Sholing FC - based in hometown Southampton - as an associate director and community ambassador this summer, providing funds for community work. Colwill’s uncles won the 2014 FA Vase with the club at Wembley, when the now-England international was a mascot on the day.

Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier is also on the Sholing's board of associate directors as a community ambassador. Meanwhile, Colwill is operating his own initiative, The Levi Colwill Project, which aims to provide children with equipment and opportunities in soccer schools.

“Sholing has always been a big part of my life,” the 21-year-old said in July. “I do not think I would be where I am without my family members and Sholing in general. It is built into my personality from my family to give back. It is what I am built on.

"So you have just got to keep helping the children that are growing up in the area because we have all grown up from similar backgrounds and we all came from tough areas.

"So to give them the chance I once had means everything. So hopefully they can have the chance to be a footballer or make something of their life."