PUEL’S WORK IS KIDS STUFF
CLAUDE PUEL has been rated as Europe’s top coach for giving youngsters a chance – and the Leicester boss has pledged to live up to his billing today.
The Foxes’ hands-on French coach famously nurtured a 16-year-old Eden Hazard at Lille (below) and is not scared to play kids.
At Leicester, he has already regularly started England Under-21 duo Demarai Gray and Ben Chilwell, as well as giving Hamza Choudhury, 20, his Premier League debut.
It has helped ex-Lyon, Nice and Southampton boss Puel, 56, finish above Mauricio Pochettino as the coach in Europe’s five big leagues who has given most minutes to Under-23 players since 2008-2009.
Now City’s new Mali striker Fousseni Diabate, 22, is in line to make his bow this lunchtime in the FA Cup at Peterborough.
Puel believes his approach is in the best interests of both Leicester and England.
He insisted: “It is the winning ticket.
“For me and the club it is important always to try to develop young players.
“If they have the quality it is not a problem to give them game time and to improve with them.
“I am lucky because in my former clubs a lot of players became international players for their country.
“It is not easy to try to play young players because, of course, they do not have the experience and sometimes they can play at a different level.
“But we have to try to have patience with them to develop them if we believe in them.
“It is a philosophy but at the same time you must have the results and it is difficult.
“So we need to have the good balance between young players and experienced players.
“If then you sometimes end up with an international player, of course that is great but a manager and trainer has to give his best for his players and the club whatever.”
Leicester are up to seventh in the Premier League and thriving since Puel replaced Craig Shakespeare in October.
He is set to make changes today as he did against Fleetwood in the previous round but Puel still aims to progress.
He said: “We know we have a good squad and a good possibility.
“I think it is a good competition and If we have success it is more games to develop the young players.“