Leicester City have already lined up Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall next

Leicester City’s academy has produced a number of talented players over the years and the current crop at Seagrave are set to follow in the footsteps of those who have succeeded.

In City’s championship-winning season, Enzo Maresca’s side consisted of five academy players (Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Hamza Choudhury, Kasey McAteer, Ben Nelson and Wanya Marcal) with Will Alves, Tawanda Maswanhise, Brandon Cover and Arjan Raikhy ( who joined from Aston). Villa) all either featuring or training with the first team.

The abundance of serious level talent coming out of the football club is one of excitement and since Bank Holiday Monday, Leicester fans have been treated to a glimpse of what the future could look like.

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The U16s lifted the Premier League Cup in front of thousands at the King Power Stadium against Manchester City. Jake Evans, who has spent part of this season playing at U18 level, was the hero on the night with both goals in a thriller.

After his penalty was canceled out by Christian Dunbar-McDonald, Evans’ second extra-time stunner crowned the young Foxes as champions. If City fans didn’t know about Evans before, they certainly will now.

One man who knows more than most about the striker is former Leicester academy coach Alistair Heath. Heath spent seven years at the football club between 2015 and 2021, before moving to Cambodia to take up a role as head coach of the first team.

During his time in LE2, he worked as the head coach of the Thailand International U17-U23 head coach, before spending just over a year coaching the academy players.

“After Covid/during Covid I joined the academy working with the U14s,” he said. Leicestershire live. “The first group I worked with had Trey Nyoni and the second, which I consider the best academy age group I’ve ever been with, has Jake Evans.

“He’ll make the first team. I keep in touch with him now and he’s one to keep an eye on.”

Heath continued: “I’d say he’s a very versatile player, he can play on the left and on the right. He has strength, determination, good ball control and pace. He has a good eye for goal and is an excellent attacking player.

“His biggest strength is his mentality. I remember seeing him in the U13s and being able to watch him when I was with the U14s was great. In some ways he reminds me of a Wayne Rooney type of player.

“He’s an all-rounder. When I was with the U14s, I knew he would continue to be involved with the U21s etc. For him, as long as he keeps that mentality, then there’s no reason why he can’t go all out. way and be the new Dewsbury Hall’.

Dewsbury-Hall blossomed late into the Leicester first team but made a name for himself after consecutive loan spells with Blackpool and Luton Town. This season he has been instrumental in the club’s return to the Premier League with 12 goals and 15 assists.

While charting Evans’ potential path to the first team at Dewsbury-Hall is difficult, Heath believes the teenager could go on to surpass previous academy graduates at the club.

“If, in my opinion, you’re not in the first team and around him until you’re 18 (training, pre-season, etc), it’s very difficult (to succeed) because that’s how hard it is. If an U21 team doesn’t have a young age group then something is wrong.

“Jake’s got a great chance. Now they’re back in the Premier League, it might be more difficult, he might have to go out on loan, but I know he’s got the mentality to do it and do it well. They’ve got real talent there, either that he is at the same level as Dewsbury-Hall or (Hamza) Choudhury, I think he can be better than those two.