Footballer’s pride at Leicester City debut
A FOOTBALLER from Shepshed realised a childhood dream on Saturday when he made his first team debut for Leicester City in their fourth round FA Cup tie against Brentford.
Twenty-one-year-old midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall came on as a 68th minute substitute for Kelechi Iheanacho and helped the team to hold onto a 1-0 win against the Championship side.
He started playing football for the Shepshed Dynamo Warriors before joining Leicester City at the age of eight, working his way through the age ranks to being a reguiar in City’s Under 23s this season and the reigning development squad player of the season.
City boss Brendan Rodgers said the Dewsbury-Hall deserved his call-up for his stylish, hard-working displays for the Under-23s over recent seasons and he was keen to test him in a high-pressure scenario to see how he coped.
“We wanted to get Kiernan on, a young boy who has been in the academy since he was eight years of age.
“For him and his parents it was a great day.
They’ve put in a lot of miles travelling to training and around the country.
“You’re not always going to make your debut when you’re winning 3-0 or 4-0, when you are so comfortable. So go in and feel some pressure, because that’s what real football is about.
“He was aggressive, which we needed him to be, he wasn’t timid, he got on the ball, made some mistakes, did some really good things.”
Dewsbury-Hall said: “I’m over the moon, I’ve been at the club since I was eight. This is my boyhood club and I’ve worked so hard to get to this point. It’s an honour and I’m grateful to all the people who have helped me along the way. Hopefully this is just the beginning.
“It was a tough game to go into to, but I was happy to get on the pitch and show what I can do. I’m very proud, I’ve worked hard and had to be patient but finally the day has come where I can say I’ve made my debut.”
The midfielder will now take the next step in his development on loan with League 1 side Blackpool until the end of the season, subject to Football League approval.