Ben Petty was proud of the performance produced by Leicester City’s Development Squad as they beat Derby County on Monday evening.
– Leicester City’s Development Squad beat Derby County in PL2
– Amani Richards and Zach Booth scored the goals at Leicester City Training Ground
– City face Arsenal on Friday evening at Meadow Park
– It was a great start to the season, says coach Ben Petty
City’s Under-21s began their 2023/24 Premier League 2 campaign by dispatching the Rams 2-1 at Leicester City Training Ground. First-half goals from Amani Richards and Zach Booth set the young Foxes on their way to three points on the opening day, and coach Petty was impressed with the performance on display.
“I think the scoreline probably doesn’t reflect the superiority that we had,” the coach explained. “Especially in the first half, we must be more clinical with the chances we create.
“But I’m delighted for the lads. They put a real good shift and there were some tired bodies in there and one or two injuries, so we’ll mop up tomorrow and see how we go.
“The lads had a lot of anticipation around the game. Anxiety sets in a little bit, and it got a little bit nervy, and one or two players were cramping up, but they’ve worked really hard pre-season.
“They’re in great shape. I’m proud of their efforts tonight, and they worked really hard for the Club.”
Petty also spoke about the influence that new first team Manager Enzo Maresca has had on the academy. Looking to be more confident in possession and stable at the back, Petty explains how he has spent valuable time with the Italian, learning valuable lessons that have been implemented in Seagrave.
“The front three have been excellent in pre-season,” he stated. “We’ve created and scored a few goals, and they’re playing with a lot of confidence.
“I think you can see we’ve got a lot of pace, and we’re trying to mirror what the first team are doing with four or five on the back line when we’re breaking. It’s exciting to watch and it’s just up to the lads at the back to keep the door shut, and hopefully we get some exciting games at Seagrave.
“I was very fortunate. I spent the first week with the new manager and got to see some of his methods, and obviously we’ve had a lot of lads train with them.
“So, it’s important for me as the Under-21s coach to try and prepare lads for the first team. That’s the goal. As a group, we’re all comfortable with it. We like the style, and we think we can play well with it and get some success. I think you saw tonight that it’s just a start, but very positive.”
Several young Foxes have been involved in Maresca’s XI early on, including wingers Kasey McAteer and Wanya Marcal-Madivadua, and the Under-21s coach has a clear message for the former youth players.
He added: “They need to fly now and earn their right to play in the first team and the lads that are coming in, they can see that there’s a pathway there for them if they’re producing.
“They’re certainly working really hard on the training pitch. They’ve been a delight in pre-season, and I’m really pleased for them that they’ve got three points to start the season.”
One negative to the evening was captain Joe Wormleightons injury’, but the coach labelled the defender as a fighter and hopes that he won’t be sidelined for too long during a busy PL2 campaign.
“It looks a painful one,” Petty informed us. “We’re going to send him for an X-ray, but it looks like he’s damaged his big toe and the doctor is a little bit concerned about him, but knowing Joe, he’ll strap it up and get going again as quickly as possible.
“Obviously, we look after him, and we’ll see what the damage is. He’s just been named the captain of the team, so we don’t want him missing for too long. He was having a terrific game as well, from right-back, and we’ll miss him over the next few weeks.”
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