Leicester and their development squad are well under way to start next season as prepared as possible. A number of players both contracted and trialists were on show vs. Notts County.
Since then games vs. Barwell and Stratford Town has taken place with new faces involved. A next venue takes place today, Monday the 18th of July playing Aylestone Park.
To be able to compete for a higher position and showing more consistancy it looks as if Leicester is eager to get new faces in with trialists from Everton, Chelsea and Aston Villa being tested. Another key must be that the change to U.21 did see a number of players becoming overaged and to get those numbers down we have seen players released and not given a new deal.
Next season Premier League 2 will be changed from U.23 to U.21. Every team will be able to play five over aged outfield players as well as a goalkeeper on top. This is done to give clubs a bit of a time to make a full transition over a longer period and given time to settle a better structure regarding the new age rules.
Paul Appiah is the one from Aston Villa, Danish youngster Sebastian Kristensen is on trial after being released by Everton. A third player is Luke Badley-Morgan from Chelsea. They might be possible signings as Appiah and Kristensen has no deal running and Badley-Morgan might consider options at Leicester better than staying at Chelsea.
The game vs. Barwell was a grand opening of their new pitch and it all ended in a 1-1 draw. Barwell competes at level 7 in English football and made it difficult for the youthfull Leicester side on show.
The game vs. Stratford Town had another outfall as Leicester managed to win the clash 3-1 after an opening goal from Ethan Fitzhugh and later two more from Chris Popov, if he touched it or it was Kasey McAteer scoring if he had the last touch on the ball. Stratford Town competes in the Southern League Premier Division Central seen as 7th tier level in English football.
The game vs. Aylestone Park FC ended in a 2-1 win after 1-1 half time. As we go forward this brings the development team further in pre-season hopefully getting the new group in place in good time before their opening fixture of the season in an exciting Premier League 2 challenge as well as EFL Trophy group games vs. Burton Albion, Bradford City and Sheffield Wednesday in August and October.
Leicester do have a number of U.21 players involved in first team affairs at present such as Sammy Braybrooke (M), Will Alves (M), Brad Young (G), Chituru Odunze (G) Ben Nelson (D) and Callum Wright (M). They were all in the party going to France and Belgium last week.
Lewis Brunt and Daily Spencer-Adams are two players not seen in action so far in any event, with the latter being out injured and said to have been offered a new deal. No report on why Brunt is absent from playing at this point. George Hirst has not either been playing games since his return to Leicester, but maybe not seen in this picture at the moment.
So far in pre-season TCF have counted the following U.21 players involved;
Players marked with * are trialists
- Goalkeepers
- Arlo Doherty (Ireland)
- Kelechi Chibueze (England)
- Chituru Odunze (USA)
- Defenders
- Paul Appiah (England) *
- Sebastian Kristensen (Denmark) *
- Luke Badley-Morgan (Jamaica) *
- Shane Flynn (Ireland)
- Thomas Wilson-Brown (England)
- Iestyn Hughes (Wales)
- Henry Cartwright (England)
- Joe Wormleighton (England)
- Midfield
- Deniche Hill (Bermuda) *
- Khanya Leshabela (South Africa)
- Wanya Marcal-Madivadua (Portugal)
- Suphanat Mueanta (Thailand) *
- Thanavat Suengchitthawon (Thailand)
- Harvey Godsmark-Ford (England)
- Brandon Cover (England)
- Logan Briggs (England)
- Kartell Dawkins (England)
- Kasey McAteer (England)
- Forwards
- Chris Popov (Wales)
- Ethan Fitzhugh (Ireland)
- Tawanda Maswanhise (Zimbabwe)
- Terrel Pennant (England)
- Kian Pennant (England)
TCF - FILBERT WAY 
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