Leicester released eight players from their development department this summer. Life will continue at other clubs and hopefully a career in football will be possible. These players are talented but withouth getting the correct following up or being in a top club environment slowly more and more moving away from the level of quality needed to survive at the very top.
Looking back and adding up the situation for the players that played for Leicester in the EFL Cup vs. Tranmere on 7th of Januar 2020. We have the following. The game ended in a 2-1 win for Leicester.
Leicester had the following team on the day; Eldin Jakupovic, Darnell Johnson, Calvin Bassey, Darragh O’Connor, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, George Thomas, Khanya Leshabela, Luke Thomas, Mitchell Clark, Admiral Muskwe, George Hirst, Subs; Ali Regba, Vontae Daley-Campbell, Conor Tee, Callum Hulme, Will Russ, Jakub Stolarczyk, Tyrse Shade
This is more than five years ago and a lot has happened since. Luke Thomas and Jackub Stolarczyk are still with Leicester and currently preparing for a new season at Seagrave.
Darnell Johnson was a hugely talented defender at the time. On the brink of a Leicester full team breakthrough, but it never happened. He had played for England on all levels up to U20. He left Leicester in 2021. At present listed among players at Spalding United. He during his career represented clubs such as Hibs, Wigan, Fleetwood, Wimbledon and Forest Green.
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Calvin Bassey has gone from strength to strength after leaving Leicester as a free agent in June 2020. He first joined Rangers and became a regular at Ibrox. Later in play for Ajax and a move to Fulham in 2023. Since joining The Cottagers for a fee of €21 million, he has establish himself for Nigeria and taken become a very important player at Craven Cottage.
Darragh O’Connor left Leicester in 2021. The 1.88m central defender moved north to Scottish Premiership club Motherwell. He has since been playing for Greenock Morton and York City. A couple of loan spells at Falkirk and Queen of the South has also been there in a career that is still waiting to exhale for the 25 year old.
Nuneation born, Mitchell Clark came to Leicester from Aston Villa. He moved on and joined Accrington Stanley in 2021. After two years at Crown Ground, he moved to Port Vale. He had earlier had two loan spells at Vale Park and helped the team to a promotion to League One last season.
George Thomas joined Leicester from Coventry. He has later had spells at Queens Park Rangers and Cambridge United. He was released from his current club Cambridge in June and a free agent at this time. Thomas also had loan spells at Scunthorpe, ADO den Haag and Yeovil during his career. He is full international for Wales, playing 3 times for his nation.
We all know the progress of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, becoming a regular midfielder in the first team and sold to Chelsea for a fee of £30million. He has strangely enough never played for any England team, neither at youth or full level.
Khanya Leshabela has returned to English football after a spell back in South Africa with Cape Town City. Leshabela is one of the so called on game wonders. Leshabela made his Premier League debut with Leicester as an 81st-minute sub during a 5–0 victory vs. Sheffield United on 14 March 2021.
Admiral Muskwe was seen as a special talent. The Zimbabwe full international made a move to Luton, but struggled with injuries and when The Hatters made the Premier League, Muskwe had difficulties to perform at the highest level. He joined Harrogate Town and has later taken a move to Finish top flight club IFK Mariehamn.
George Hirst never managed to break through at Leicester but has since leaving to join Ipswich had good progress. Hirst helped Ipswich to promotion to Premier League, played at this level last season and will be pushing for a new promotion this season. So far played 52 league games, scoring 10 goals. Hirst joined Leicester from OH Leuven and before played for Sheffield Wednesday. He has also had loan spells with Rotherham, Blackburn and Portsmouth.
Conor Tee was on of the players on the bench that day, being released by Leicester in 2021. Tee joined Brackley and has since played for South Shields, Rushden & Diamonds, Bromsgrove Sporting, Rushall, Halesowen and has just signed for Real Bedford.
Ali Reghba, often described as a raw diamond, but never given a proper chance at Leicester, is a player that has travelled the world since leaving. He left Leicester in 2022. He is currently playing for Slovenian club Maribor. He joined Maribor in February this year, having played 15 league games, scored 1 goal. He has had nomadic life in football, being at Home Farm, Shelbourne and Bohemians in Ireland before moving to Leicester. After he left Reghba has played for Belouizdad in Algeria and North Macedonia club Rabotnichki.
Another of the subs on the day, Callum Hulme has since leaving been very much in the shadows of football. Hulme left Leicester in 2023, joining Manchester club Wythenshawe Town. There is little or no information on the midfielder and what has happened since leaving. He joined Leicester from Bury, described as a talented midfielder with a bright future. He has later been named in line-ups’ for Whalley Range AFC, but at this point no real update on his whereabouts.
Will Russ and Tyrese Shade was also in the squad that day. Russ has since leaving Leicester in 2022 played for Fleetwood, FC United, Hyde United and Marine FC. He has since January 2024 played for Southport. Shade joined Leicester from Solihull Moors. He has since leaving, played for Swindon and Eastleigh. He was back on loan with Solihull Moors in 2024 and have also represented Walsall on loan. He is a full international for Saint Kitts and Nevis.
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