Eight youngsters hoping to make an impact at City
CHANCE TO IMPRESS IN PRE-SEASON TRAINING
THE first couple of weeks of preseason training provide an opportunity for Leicester City’s most promising young players to catch the eye of the manager.
With half of the first team squad still on holiday following their international commitments, the group Brendan Rodgers is working with at Seagrave has been bolstered by players from the development squad and academy.
While Rodgers is a regular at their fixtures and so will already know plenty about each of the individuals, he will be very keen to see how they get on in a first team environment and how they fare up against the likes of Jamie Vardy, James Maddison, and Harvey Barnes.
Here is the lowdown on eight players spotted training with the first team this week.
Tawanda Maswanhise
This is not new territory for the attacker.
He was involved in pre-season last term, and impressed enough to get a spot in the side for the first two games against Burton and Wycombe.
Despite being the youngest player in the side for both of those games, his fearlessness and speed on the ball made him the standout player.
He then spent the season with the development squad, usually playing as a striker, and the 19-year-old grabbed a creditable 10 goals in 26 Premier League 2 games to finish as the club’s top scorer.
Shane Flynn
The Irish winger-turned-full-back was the development squad player of the year in 2021, which is usually a good omen at City.
The previous five winners were Luke Thomas, Kiernan DewsburyHall, Hamza Choudhury, Harvey Barnes, and Ben Chilwell.
But a slow start to last season meant he did not kick on in the way his predecessors did. He will be hoping to make that leap this coming term.
Wanya Marcal-Madivadua
The Portuguese youth international has already tasted first-team football with City, making his debut as a second-half substitute in the FA Cup win over Watford last season.
A busy, forward-thinking midfielder with a growing knack for timely late goals, he has never been too far away from Rodgers’ plans, and played in pre-season games two summers ago.
Oli Ewing
The Welshman is another who Rodgers has kept a close eye on for a couple of years, and he was included in the matchday squad for a couple of European games last season.
Picked up by City after his release by Fulham a few years ago, he has shown himself to be versatile, playing in a number of different midfield positions, while also looking like a very solid set-piece taker.
Iestyn Hughes
Another Welshman, full-back Hughes was signed from Manchester United last summer at the same time the highly-rated Paul McGuinness made the same journey to become City’s head of academy player development.
He can play on both flanks, and may be required for the first couple of pre-season games, with Timothy Castagne, James Justin, and Luke Thomas all still away.
Joe Wormleighton
One of the players to have made the biggest strides in recent months, right-back Wormleighton graduated from the Under-18s to the Under-23s and kept on impressing.
His combativeness and delivery from wide areas are the stand-out attributes of a well-rounded player.
Brandon Cover
Cover is an interesting inclusion alongside first team players as he is yet to make an appearance for the development squad, spending the whole of the last term with the Under-18s.
But his height certainly helps him look the part, and he is another who has played in a number of midfield roles.
His highlight last season was his brace off the bench in the FA Youth Cup win over Bournemouth, Cover showing speed, intelligence and composure for his two finishes.
Tom Wilson-Brown
Like Cover, Wilson-Brown is yet to play at development squad level, but was a regular for the Under-18s.
Usually playing on the left of a back three, Wilson-Brown has a Jonny Evans-type physique and may get game-time with so many of the club’s centre-backs still away.