Joe Wormleighton should have an even greater desire to make himself a starter at Leicester City after he was given his first opportunity in the senior squad. The 18-year-old right-back was on the bench for City in their 2-0 win over Leeds on Thursday night, injuries opening up a spot for an academy youngster to take. Wormleighton is just the latest local lad to get a taste of a first-team matchday. Formerly a winger, he has the attacking attributes to make it as a modern-day full-back, while he’s shown a willingness to get stuck in defensively too. City boss
Brendan Rodgers said: “It was just to give him the experience. We work closely with the Under-21s and it’s important they feel they get the reward for doing well. Joe’s a local boy, he loves Leicester City, he’s come through the ranks here. He’s very tenacious as a defender. He’s working on his lines of pass. He’s a young guy that is so committed to learning. He’s trained with us quite a few times and I’ve always liked him, and when we speak to Ben [Petty], our Under-21s coach, he’s reinforced how well he’s been doing. It’s a nice opportunity when there’s a space on the bench to bring him in, give him a feel for the preparation and intensity of the game. He’ll go away hopefully feeling better for that and hopefully with more drive and ambition to be a starter at some point in his career here.”
City’s academy is on a successful streak at the moment. The club are now up to 194 consecutive matches in which there has been at least one academy graduate in the matchday squad, a run that goes back to December 2018.
