LUKE OF L VE
Don’t tell Foxes star there’s no magic left in cup!
LEICESTER CITY’S Luke Thomas is giving an interview, sitting in front of a screen, possibly unaware of the significance of what he has just said.
“So, let’s get this straight,” says this questioner. “The first time you played in front of fans was in the FA Cup Final?
“It was also the first time your family had seen you play in a professional game – when you beat Chelsea at Wembley last season?
“Not only that, your dad and uncle are life-long Leicester City supporters who have put up with that jibe about being the club that has suffered the most FA Cup final defeats – and you play in the game that ended it?
“And also you’re a former Foxes ball-boy, season-ticket holder and graduate from the club’s academy?”
Thomas laughs. The three journalists on the Zoom call break into grins.
This story won’t need a lot of graft or embellishment – it’s all right there in front of us.
Thomas was still a teenager when he lifted the FA Cup with his hometown side last May, as Brendan Rodgers consigned an unwanted statistic to the rubbish bin, thanks to Youri Tielemans’ wonderful winner. Talk about a fairy tale. It probably mirrors that of the Premier League title triumph. All that, and Thomas was stepping into the shoes of £50million Chelsea export Ben Chilwell, too. No pressure, then.
Leicester’s left-back, 20, said: “It was a surprising first season. I didn’t expect to play as many games and I definitely didn’t expect to play in an FA Cup final. To go on to win it was unbelievable, mind-blowing.
“It was the best day of my life. To play at Wembley, which I’d never done before, and do it in front of our fans – the first time I’d played in front of them, with the pandemic – and my family, was incredible.
“We tried to treat it like just another game though. For example, James Maddison and I had a game of darts on the night before in the hotel.
“But I’d never played in front of a crowd before. Possibly a few fans at the Under-23 games. So I got butterflies when I saw them. There were just 6,000 from each club and a few neutrals, but that was enough.
“When I walked out of the tunnel, it was, ‘Whoa’, but I just had to deal with it.
“Youri scored his goal and we were edging towards the end, but I was substituted eight minutes from time. Then, it looked like they’d scored.
“I just put my head down. I was sure Ben Chilwell was onside. I couldn’t really tell from the angle where I was sitting on the bench. I just put my head in my hands.
“As soon as VAR said it was ruled out, you’re on your feet. For the last three minutes we’re all standing up – the final whistle goes and everyone’s on the pitch.
“I went to see my dad – there may have been a tear in his eye – and I went back to Leicester with him and my uncle Wes. They go everywhere, all the away games.
“We ended up at the training ground for a celebration – there were quite a few of us there – it was a good night. It wasn’t until afterwards I realised how much it meant to everyone.
“My dad hasn’t stopped talking about it on Facebook for the past six months.”
Thomas certainly is living the dream. There is strong rivalry between Nottingham Forest and Leicester and he can well recall one of the last few times the teams met at the City Ground.
It was in 2013 when a stoppage-time goal from Anthony Knockaert secured a play-off spot for Leicester in dramatic circumstances during a topsy-turvy 3-2 win.
Thomas said: “I haven’t seen many games between the clubs, although
I’ve heard about the rivalry. But we haven’t played them for eight years.
“Knockaert scored that one in the last minute. The fans went wild.
“I watched it on the telly.
There’s no doubt they want to put one over us. Their fans will be up for it and
I know ours will be.
“They’ll want us to win – so we’re going to go out there and hopefully smash them.”
“It was the best
I’d day of my life.
at never played
it Wembley – and
was the first time EVER that
front I’d played in
of fans...”