Today the cut for first team appearances is difficult and to get into the first team at Leicester is almost impossible, coming up from academy levels, few does. Over the years and in recent times a number of players just appearing in the set up of the U.23’s has made full international debuts while at the club and never played in the Leicester City first team, or just played once before shipped out to other places.

Embed from Getty Images

The latest of this unusual group of players is Thai international Tanawat Suengchittawon, signed from French club Nancy and has during the summer been called up to the Thailand first team and played three games, making his debut against Tajikistan, prevously been capped at U.17 and U.16 level with France.

Embed from Getty Images

Harrison Panayiotou made his first debut as a teenager, playing that only game v. Leeds and also scoring on his debut back in 2012, and was seen as a special talent, but it never really happened for him at Leicester, instead ending up with loan spells at Port Vale and Raith Rovers, moving on to Barrow and several other players before ending up at Aldershot Town FC where he is a proven player today and since joining 2019 scored 16 goals in 66 league games. During this time he has been a full international for Saints Kitts & Nevis, so far 25 full international and has scored 10 goals.

Alie Sesay is next, never a first team appearance for Leicester, but play at full level for Sierra Leone, 8 caps so far. He has travelled around and played in Sweden, Bulgaria, Greece, Azerbaijan and at present with Indonesian club Persebaya Surabaya.

Embed from Getty Images

Admiral Muskwe never appeared in the first team at Leicester, no PL games and today done his move to Luton. During his days with Leicester he made his full international debut for Zimbabwe and so far played 4 games and scored 1 goal. He as and Panayioutou before him was named as Academy player of the year, but never made it to the first team, strange.

Simonas Stankvicius made his full international debut for Lithuania while on Leicester books, we never did see him in the first team at Leicester, but has to date played 10 times for his country. He also moved around and last seen playing for Norwegian club Egersund and also at Mjondalen for a period. Said to have retired at the age of 25.

Embed from Getty Images

George Thomas never appeared in the PL for Leicester, joining from Coventry and during his time with Leicester and the development group he actually made his debut for Wales, today playing at QPR and so far been involved three times for his country. Thomas did make his full debut in cup competitions and had a number of good seasons in the U.23’s from 17 to 20.

Alex Pascanu and Daniel Iversen are two players that has seen their international careers reach the level of U.21 caps without ever playing in the Leicester first team, with Pascanu leaving the club for first team possibilities elsewhere and Iversen been loaned out to several other clubs at lower levels. Swedish goalkeeper Viktor Johansson also appeared in the Swedish U.21 team while on the books of Leicester.

Embed from Getty Images

Bartosz Kapustka did play for Poland during his stay at Leicester but never ever appeared in the first team in a League game, though he had no academy life at the club, but had to play in the U.23’s and just a wasted career and seldom seen such misfit, but back in Poland with Legia and hopefully getting more out of his football than he did with Leicester.

Always nice to follow up, for some it became a success all the way to the top level of the pyramid, for others it has really not taken totally off yet and some players just vanished into the lower leagues as life took other directions, twists and turns.

Looking at last seasons squad and shirt numbers and how things look today can give us an indication of what we still are missing, who might be on the way out and what we do have to find out before the season kicks off with that special Community Shield game v. Man City.

Embed from Getty Images

It’s always exciting to look at fixtures, new player arrivals and those shirt numbers given and guessing why some players are given the numbers they are given, and even starting this already after the first training session, seeing Harvey Barnes as a number 7, with that shirt number available after Demarai Gray’s departure to Bayer Leverkusen.

Last season we had the following, 1. Kasper Schmeichel, 2. James Justin, 4. Caglar Soyuncu, 5. Wes Morgan, 6. Jonny Evans, 7. Demarai Gray, 8. Youri Tielemans, 9. Jamie Vardy, 10. James Maddison, 11. Mark Albrighton, 12. Danny Ward, 14. Kelechi Iheanacho, 15. Harvey Barnes, 16. Filip Benkovic, 17. Ayoze Perez, 18. Daniel Amartey, 20. Hamza Choudhury, 21. Ricardo Pereira, 22. Matty James, 24. Nampalys Mendy, 25. Wilfred Ndidi, 26. Dennis Praet, 27. Timothy Castagne, 28. Christian Fuchs, 32. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, 33. Luke Thomas, 35. Eldin Jakupovic, 45. George Hirst,

Later added, 3. Wesley Fofana, 19. Cengiz Under, 37. Ethan Fitzhugh, 38. Thakgalo Leshabela, 46. Vontae Daley-Campbell, 50. Sidnei Tavares, 51. Jacob Stolarczyk, 53. Shane Flynn, 59. Ben Nelson, 64. Thanawat Suengchitthawon, 65. Tawanda Maswanhise,

Other players out on loan or on the way out, 31. Rachid Ghezzal, 34. Josh Knight, 13. Islam Slimani, 23. Adrien Silva

Embed from Getty Images

Those players added up the total of the first team shirt numbers, and looking at it from a squad perspective and positioning, you got the following,

Goalkeepers;
Kasper Schmeichel, Danny Ward, Jacob Stolarczyk, Eldin Jakupovic
Defenders;
James Justin, Caglar Soyuncu, Wes Morgan, Jonny Evans, Daniel Amartey, Ricardo Pereira, Timothy Castagne, Christian Fuchs, Luke Thomas, Wesley Fofana
Midfield;
Hamza Choudhury, Wilfred Ndidi, Youri Tielemans, James Maddison, Dennis Praet, Nampalys Mendy, Marc Albrighton, Cengiz Under
Forwards;
Jamie Vardy, Harvey Barnes, Kelechi Iheanacho, Ayoze Perez,

This was the first team squad that played and was mostly involved with a few other younger players and some of the fringe players such as Islam Slimani and Filip Benkovic being among the first team players when at the club either before a loan move or between them.

Embed from Getty Images

So will any of the players with a shirt number step up and get a full chance or will the players that has been signed just chip in as they fill the gaps of the others, here is how we see it,

Goalkeepers;
Kasper Schmeichel, Danny Ward, Jacob Stolarczyk, Brad Young *
Defenders;
James Justin, Caglar Soyuncu, Jonny Evans, Daniel Amartey, Ricardo Pereira, Timothy Castagne, Luke Thomas, Ryan Bertrand *, Wesley Fofana, Vacant
Midfield;
Youri Tielemans, James Maddison, Boubakary Soumare *, Wilfred Ndidi, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Nampalys Mendy, Marc Albrighton, Vacant,
Forwards;
Jamie Vardy, Patson Daka *, Kelechi Iheanacho, Harvey Barnes

We are not yet certain which players would leave, but we feel that Filip Benkovic and Hamza Choudhury both could be out the exit door before the season starts. Ayoze Perez looks as a possible departure as well, if those moves happens, it could be up to two new players added to the squad before the season kicks off, with Ozan Kabak and Philippe Coutinho the two that looks obvious at this moment.

Leicester had a number of players of current time in there, but none were left when the final was to be played at Wembley. Kasper Schmeichel did what he could to prevent Denmark from going out even saving a penalty from Harry Kane, but sadly for the Leicester goalkeeper, Kane didn’t miss his second opportunity when the ball slipped out of Kasper’s bag.

Embed from Getty Images

We have talked about those involved and falling out of the tournament one by one, but the fact that Roberto Mancini was in charge of Italy had a special meaning to it. Previously a player at Leicester over the new your period in the first year of this century, adding up a handful of appearances before setting his sight on his first managerial job in football when taking charge of Fiorentina.

The link between Svennis and Peter Taylor made the move possible, and from there you had a connection that did see Svennis join Leicester as a manager a decade later. In that Italian team you had Sassuolo midfielder Domenico Berardi, said to be on the radar of Brendan Rodgers this summer, few believe though that it will be a player that Leicester will get their hands on, but a link is a link anyway.

Embed from Getty Images

The fact that Harry Kane again played a vital part as England jumped the hurdles round by round, is a bit of a Leicester story, though the 13 league games and the 2 goals scored while with this football club on loan back in 2013 had a minor and tiny little peace of his career as we know it.

Harry Maguire did play his part and after starting the tournament injured he contributed more and more as he formed a brilliant partnership with John Stones. The two were probably not as fantastic as the two old timers Georgio Chiellini and Leanardo Bonucci who had concrete tournament and showing how fantastic you can be if you have attitude, desire and defensive skills.

Harry had a great breakthrough at international level while at Leicester and has since his days in the blue jersey added up 37 caps, making his debut v. Lithuania in 2017. Ben Chilwell was also in the England squad but with the form of Luke Shaw he played no part in the games at all, but as he got his bronze medal from the Nations League finals, he know could collect the silver as a member of the squad, and then we all know what is missing.

Embed from Getty Images

England did a grand tournament and what happened during the penalty shoot outs, just forget it, tired legs, unexperienced youngsters stepping up and should be applauded for their brave attitude and just move on from the fact that they missed their opportunities.

Gareth Southgate might consider a couple of Leicester players games coming up, and it might be a chance to shine for those we have mentioned above as well.