‘Brilliant technician’ was on bench after impressing boss
MIDFIELDER MATCHED SENIOR TEAM-MATES IN TRAINING
YOUNG Leicester City midfielder Thanawat Suengchitthawon was granted a first-team chance after matching his senior team-mates in training.
The Thai-born French youth international was named among the substitutes for Saturday’s defeat to Manchester City, becoming the fifth development squad player to be included in a first-team matchday squad this calendar year, after Vontae Daley-Campbell, Sidnei Tavares, Khanya Leshabela and Shane Flynn.
Suengchitthawon is a “brilliant technician”, according to City manager Brendan Rodgers, who has been taking a closer look at the 21-year-old in first-team training for a couple of months.
Just shy of 5ft 6in, Suengchitthawon may not have the physical build to compete with the club’s top players but Rodgers says he has proven he has the ability, and wanted to give his development a small boost with a first taste of senior football.
“You’ll probably have seen a bit of him in the Under-23s.” Rodgers said. “He scored a couple of goals recently against Manchester United. He’s an attacking midfield player. He’s a brilliant technician. He’s small in stature, but plays big on the field.
“He has great quality and we see him playing on a daily basis with our top players and he copes and doesn’t look out of place.
“It’s a little nudge for his development.
“He’s a gifted player. We’ve had a lot of the younger players involved with us. Some have had game-time, starting or coming off the bench, and he’s one of the young guys who has been training with us.
“He’s a top player technically so we’ll see how he develops.”
While many of City’s recent graduates from the development squad have come through years of academy football with the club, Suengchitthawon is a recent addition, having arrived from French side AS Nancy on a free transfer last summer.
Born in Thailand, he moved to France as a young boy and earned a place in Nancy’s academy aged 13 after impressing for his local side in the east of the country.
He moved up the age groups and was captaining their reserve side when he was offered a professional deal by City last summer, with Nancy only putting an amateur contract on the table.
At City, the former France Under17 international has been a regular for Steve Beaglehole’s Under-23s, playing behind the striker or out wide, scoring four goals in 13 appearances, including a brace in a 4-2 win over Manchester United in January. Since February, he has been training with the first team.
“Great to be on the bench of the first team for the first time despite the disappointing result,” Suengchitthawon wrote on social media after Saturday’s game.