Hotshot Wakeling marks deal with a goal

FREE-SCORING young striker Jake Wakeling has signed a professional contract with Leicester City – and marked his deal with a goal, writes Jordan Blackwell.

The 19-year-old had been on trial with the club’s Under-23s after scoring a hatful of goals for non-league Alvechurch following his release by West Brom in the summer.

After netting twice on his second outing for City’s Under-23s, against Brighton, Wakeling got his third goal in blue this week, striking in a 5-1 win over Tottenham on Monday.

Then he announced he had put pen to paper on a contract.

“Proud to have signed my first professional contract with LCFC,” he said. “Looking forward to the next chapter.

“Just want to say a massive thank you to everyone at Alvechurch.

“Loved my time there and grateful to all the players and coaches for helping me in the next part of my journey, especially (chairman) Richard Thorndike for believing in me when no one else did.”

Alvechurch chairman Thorndike replied: “All you, mate. We just gave you a shirt to play in for a bit. The rest was your ability and hard work. Just keep on doing what you do.”

The victory at Spurs was City’s Under-23s’ third in a row in Premier League 2, and lifted them to seventh in the table, four points off top with a game in hand.

Layton Ndukwu opened the scoring, and while the game was level at half-time, City came out firing in the second half, Callum Wright scoring a brace, with Admiral Muskwe and Wakeling also on target.