Foxes’ under-18s can go one better than Forest and lift FA Youth Cup
PLENTY OF TALENT AMONG CLUB’S YOUNG STARS
LEICESTER City have every chance of winning silverware next season, writes Luke Pawley.
After watching the first team lift the FA Cup in May last year, the whole club was inspired.
Not just the senior players, staff and supporters, but the next generation of talent coming through as well.
City under-18s now have a great chance to follow suit.
The young Foxes reached the quarters-finals last season, losing to eventual winners Manchester United, but they could go all the way in 2022-23.
Some core players from last season’s side will be eligible to compete in the competition again, with an extra year’s development and experience under their belts.
While Ben Nelson and Sammy Braybrooke will be ineligible due to their age, there are players who are more than capable of filling their shoes.
Welsh striker Chris Popov, signed a year ago from Manchester United, scored 21 goals in 28 appearances for the under-18s in 2022-23 and is eligible to play in that age group for another year.
Having already proven he is a goal scorer, he will only improve with more under-23s game time and will be a hugely valuable asset for the under-18s in the FA Youth Cup next term.
Joining Leicester from Man United at the same time as Popov was leftback Jahmari Lindsay, who has also been tipped for big things and can come into his own again next season. Midfielder Henry Cartwright and forward Will Alves, both of whom already have experience in the under-23s, will also be key players and silverware is in their grasp.
The side will also be able to boast former Grimsby defender Ben Grist, ex-Liverpool prospect Jack Lewis and winger Amani Richards, formerly of Chelsea and Arsenal.
Those are just some of the talents going into their second year of under-18s football.
Many of those great talents will be playing in the under-23s and dropping down for the FA Youth Cup – as is customary for such a prestigious competition.
They will be joined in the youth team, though, by a number of exciting players who have recently been given scholarships and will be stepping into regular under-18s football for the first time.
Among them are England youth internationals Mirsad Ali and Logan Briggs.
Ali is a highly-rated left-back, while Briggs is regarded by his peers as one of the best central midfield players in the country in his age group.
Centre-back Liam McAlinney broke into the Under-18s towards the end of last season, while striker Reece Evans has already represented Republic of Ireland at under19 level.
Kolo Toure’s son Yassine and talented forward Tristen Thomas will also join them.
There will almost certainly be other entertaining players joining that group, but it is unclear whether some players were retained or released at the end of last season.
The FA Youth Cup has provided great memories for Midlands clubs over the past couple of years, with Aston Villa victorious in 2021 and Nottingham Forest reaching the final with some outstanding performances last term.
City will be looking to follow in their footsteps and create history with a group of players they hope can carve out long and successful careers at the club.