Rubin Colwill: Cardiff City and Wales youngster's rise to prominence is gathering pace
- Published
Captain Sean Morrison tops the pile of players on top of Rubin Colwill after his first senior goal
New contract, maiden Wales start, first goals in senior football. Rubin Colwill's rise to prominence has gathered pace in the last couple of weeks.
Nine months ago, Colwill "was as far away from the first team as he was ever going to be" according to Cardiff City manager Mick McCarthy.
Now McCarthy knows the 19-year-old can change a game.
Cardiff were in need of inspiration at Nottingham Forest on Sunday having fallen behind to a goal from Lewis Grabban.
After being introduced from the bench alongside Kieffer Moore, Colwill needed all of 53 seconds to latch onto his fellow substitute's header and guide home his first goal for the club.
The second arrived 15 minutes later, when Colwill drove towards the penalty area and unleashed a fierce 20-yard drive which Forest keeper Brice Samba could not stop despite getting a hand to the ball.
With that Cardiff could celebrate a 2-1 victory.
"It's the highlight of my career so far," Colwill said. "Hopefully it's something I can do more of in the future."
The signs are that the Forest goals will be the first of many.
Born in Neath, Colwill joined Cardiff's academy when aged eight.
His talent has been apparent all along, though his progression in recent years has been thanks in part to a growth spurt which saw go from one of the smaller players in his age group to a 6ft 1in presence in the senior dressing room.
McCarthy says he and assistant Terry Connor felt Colwill stood out "like a sore thumb" when, having arrived in Wales in January, they assessed the players on the fringes of Cardiff's first-team squad.
Colwill duly made his debut against Coventry in February, with his first start coming against Wycombe in April.
Next came a call-up to the extended Wales squad preparing for Euro 2020 - and then a place in the final 26 for the tournament.
Wales' coaching staff, Robert Page said, had been "blown away" by Colwill's qualities.
His Wales bow came against France in June, before a second substitute appearance in a friendly in Finland earlier this month.
Colwill's first Wales start - and competitive appearance - followed against Belarus four days later.
He says the dreams he had as a kid are "all coming true".
Colwill's progress has been recognised by Cardiff, where he signed a contract running until 2024 earlier this month having agreed his previous deal just six months ago.
McCarthy is relieved the latest new agreement was sorted before Colwill's recent successes, as potential suitors would otherwise have been "all over him like a rash".
"He comes from a lovely family. He has got his feet on the ground and he wants to do well, he wants to work," McCarthy said.
Colwill has made just four league starts for Cardiff, with only one - against Millwall on 21 August - so far this season.
After a landmark day at the City Ground, it would be no surprise should Colwill get another starting chance when the Bluebirds go to Coventry on Wednesday night.
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