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Luke Thomas - Why Leicester City don’t need to spend big on a full-back
By James Evans
At 20 years of age, Leicester City’s Luke Thomas has caught the eye of many over the last year as he continues to shine.
The likes of Ricardo Pereira and James Justin have had their injury problems in recent times. In their absence, Thomas has risen to the occasion.
Predominately plying his trade in the cup competitions, Brendan Rodgers has given the fullback plenty of opportunities to showcase his potential in the league.
In the last campaign, Thomas only made 14 appearances in the league. However, this season, the full-back has featured 18 times, with plenty of games still to play.
When he was appointed as the Foxes manager, Rodgers vowed to bring in players through the youth set up. As quoted by the Leicester Mercury on 15 March, Rodgers said: “I think one of the things I’m not bad at, in my career, is bringing in young players. It’s just about timing really, and knowing they are at the level.
“Luke came in, and that was a different circumstance. Stadiums were empty, so he could come in and play without the pressure of crowds and find his way, so by the time the crowds were there, he had played 30 games or so.
“It’s something I always look at. When I came in I brought in a vision of looking to win some titles, playing good football and giving as many young players from our academy the opportunity.”
Naturally, Thomas started his career off as a fullback. However, the youngster has played out wide as well as a wingback for the Foxes.
The 20-year-old has proved that he is a versatile left-sided player who possesses the necessary attributes to cause problems going forward, and help his fellow defensive partners at the back.
As Leicester continue to have their injury problems, Rodgers won’t need to invest on a new fullback as he promises to maintain his trust in Luke Thomas.
In other Leicester news, Wesley Fofana is ready to make up for lost time at the King Power.