No Game time for Monga / Rudd stands by contract if relegated.

[davieG]

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/jeremy-monga-leicester-city-game-10072942

 

Jeremy Monga Leicester City game-time stance set out by Ruud van Nistelrooy
The 15-year-old, who has attracted the interest of Manchester City, has been training with Ruud van Nistelrooy's first team

ByJordan Blackwell
08:00, 2 APR 2025

Fifteen-year-old starlet Jeremy Monga can make an impact for Leicester City in the short term – but manager Ruud van Nistelrooy will resist calls for him to feature this season.

Monga has emerged as one of the best young talents in the country over the past 12 months, with Wednesday's opponents Manchester City the favourites to win his signature.

The winger has been a regular for the club’s under-21s and has trained alongside van Nistelrooy’s senior squad, earning a place on the bench for the FA Cup tie at Manchester United in February.

 

With City in a desperate run of form in the Premier League, there have been calls from supporters for Monga to be given a first-team chance.

That’s especially with the winger progressing at a significant rate. In the under-21s’ last outing, a 3-2 win over West Ham, Monga scored a terrific solo goal, dribbling through three men before finishing, while he also set up goals for Jake Evans and Josh King.

But van Nistelrooy won’t be swayed. He’s been consistent in his stance that until Monga finishes school this summer and the restrictions on his training time are lifted, it is difficult for him to feature on matchdays.

Monga turns 16 in July and from the summer he will be in the fold, the manager has insisted.

“He’s developing really well and you can see how good he is,” van Nistelrooy said.

“I also mentioned the situation still as a 15-year-old, with school, and with the possibility to have him around the team, it’s limited. There are more things to it.

“We’re absolutely convinced he can have an impact on this club in the short term.

“I don’t mean now, because that’s going to be difficult. But when he turns 16, then things are easier and for next season he will be a member (of the squad) there. That’s the process we’re in with him now.”

 

 

While picking up points and trying to pull off a survival miracle is top of the agenda for City, van Nistelrooy is still looking to the future.

He has said previously that he will stand by his contract and remain at the club in the event of relegation.

That means assessing the academy players, seeing which of them could step up in the future, and tying them to contracts.

He said: “We have to use every moment to plan tomorrow and today, of course, but also look further.

“It's important to do that at the same time, and especially looking at young talents within the club and give them the chance.

“Of course we’re monitoring him (Monga) closely. We want him to stay and sign. We’re in that process with him.”

While City can offer Monga terms, he cannot sign a professional contract until he turns 17, which will be in July 2026.

[TheGoldenGod]

Is it cuckoo-land to hope he plays next season? I think I'm trying to convince myself as much as anything but he's getting no game-time at Man City/Madrid whoever else want him. Time is massively on his side and would love to see him play a bit next year.

[SouthStandUpperTier]

Is that Paul Rudd the actor?

[Lineker's Left Foot]

What an absolute pillock this 🔔end is.  RVN what a w⚓️.  Monga will go and I don’t blame him.

[Royston.]

If Monga plays for us in any competitive game next season i will change my user name to..

Top Trumps

[Fox92]

Can't believe Van Nistelrooy comes from a Country where they bring great young players through, and played under a manager that did it constantly at Man Utd, yet he refuses to play young players here when he has nothing to lose. We aren't winning, we're not even scoring, just try a few here and there.

[CrazyKopCorner]

25 minutes ago, Lineker's Left Foot said:

What an absolute pillock this 🔔end is.  RVN what a w⚓️.  Monga will go and I don’t blame him.

FM I agree your every word there. 

 

Give this ****ing idiot enough time and he'd take us to the national league he's so utterly shite. 

[James_lcfc]

Ordinarily I'd agree with a bit of patience and not rushing him.

 

...but we've scored 4 goals in the last 14 league games. We really can't get much worse creatively.

 

If he is a generational talent, he'll at least do aswell as Bobby f*****g Reid.

 

Arsenal did it with Nwaneri, why can't we? 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

Not sure which of the two points of that story is more disappointing. 

[Pliskin]

He won’t be here next season.

[StanSP]

50 minutes ago, davieG said:

I don’t mean now, because that’s going to be difficult. But when he turns 16, then things are easier and for next season he will be a member (of the squad) there. That’s the process we’re in with him now.”

He turns 16 in July. 

 

By which time he'll be gone anyway

 

[Lineker's Left Foot]

21 minutes ago, CrazyKopCorner said:

FM I agree your every word there. 

 

Give this ****ing idiot enough time and he'd take us to the national league he's so utterly shite. 

Not bothered if we go straight to L2 consecutively.  Have enjoyed the Cup and PL wins but just to get my club back, if it meant KP and the ilk fook off, I’d take it.

[AjcW]

23 minutes ago, Fox92 said:

Can't believe Van Nistelrooy comes from a Country where they bring great young players through, and played under a manager that did it constantly at Man Utd, yet he refuses to play young players here when he has nothing to lose. We aren't winning, we're not even scoring, just try a few here and there.

I was doing a bit of digging on this, he made his pro debut aged 17. I wonder whether despite there being a focus on youth in the Netherlands they perhaps don't blood super early?

 

Mark Van Bommel holds the dutch record, he had just turned 16

[Gamble92]

3 minutes ago, Lineker's Left Foot said:

Not bothered if we go straight to L2 consecutively.  Have enjoyed the Cup and PL wins but just to get my club back, if it meant KP and the ilk fook off, I’d take it.

Wouldn't be a club left if we dropped that far

[RedSoxUK]

So you're saying he might as well not even try.... Great message to send to the kids.

[RedSoxUK]

1 hour ago, davieG said:

 

“I don’t mean now, because that’s going to be difficult. But when he turns 16, then things are easier and for next season he will be a member (of the squad) there. That’s the process we’re in with him now.”

 

I don't understand this, why was he on the bench Vs Manchester United in the FA Cup then? Shits and giggles? 

 

****ing fraud of a man.

[Lineker's Left Foot]

12 minutes ago, Gamble92 said:

Wouldn't be a club left if we dropped that far

Not to sound naive, my neighbour said the same thing and not to sound funny, but  why would that be the case?

[CosbehFox]

I get Monga not playing at 15 - simply it's hard to have him tactically on the same wavelength. However, for Monga to be convinced to stay he needs to see other young lads being given a go and at the moment, he sees Ayew or Reid chuffing up down the touchline. For example, Evans should be featuring. 

[goose2010]

wont play him at 15 but will at 16? Whats the point?? Its not like something happens when you turn 16! 

 

I stand by what i have said if he is good enough (others clearly think he is!) then play him. Coming on with 10-15 minutes to go in a few dead rubbers (lets be honest all our games are now until August) will not hurt him one bit! 

[when_you're_smiling]

36 minutes ago, Fox92 said:

Can't believe Van Nistelrooy comes from a Country where they bring great young players through, and played under a manager that did it constantly at Man Utd, yet he refuses to play young players here when he has nothing to lose. We aren't winning, we're not even scoring, just try a few here and there.

The youngest player Alex Ferguson gave a debut to was Giggs who was 17 and three months.

He never played a 16-year-old never mind a 15-year-old.

 

Even Johan Cruyff was 17 before he made his debut. I haven’t seen enough of Monga but I doubt he’s going to be as good as Cruyff. Only one player has made their debut in the Dutch top flight while 15, Wim Kras in 1959. 

 

I’m no fan of RVN but having a go at him because we’re not throwing kids in and expecting them to thrive in a shite team is ludicrous.

[Molson Canadian]

This have anything to do with the reason why under 16's are not going to be playing in a premier league senior matchday squad?

 

Education (inc. all models)

Your child’s Education Programme is a core component of their football development and will help them achieve a productive and fulfilling life, both on and off the field. You and your child should receive regular feedback on their progress. If you have any questions, concerns or queries about your child’s education, contact your Club’s Head of Education.

There are three education models that your child may follow whilst at the Club. These are called Training Models and the education on each of them is delivered differently. Which model your child follows will depend on the phase they are in on the Performance Pathway and what is right for both their academic development and their football development. The three training models are:

Part-time Training Model

On the PTTM your child attends the Academy in the evenings, at weekends and during holidays. The Academy will keep in regular contact with the school and provide reports to them about their progress. The Club will monitor your child’s progress to ensure the football programme is not having a negative effect on their progress at school.

Hybrid Training Model

On the HTM your child is released from school to attend the Academy for part of their weekly timetable. This model can be used in the Youth Development Phase and it will depend on your child’s age and your child’s Club programme if it is available to them.

Full-time Training Model

This model can only be used in the Youth Development Phase Category One Academies that operates a FTTM. To attend the FTTM your child will need to reside within the one and a half hour travel restrictions as outlined in the Youth Development Rules. Under 14 players can be recruited onto the programme from around the country.

[goose2010]

6 minutes ago, when_you're_smiling said:

The youngest player Alex Ferguson gave a debut to was Giggs who was 17 and three months.

He never played a 16-year-old never mind a 15-year-old.

 

Even Johan Cruyff was 17 before he made his debut. I haven’t seen enough of Monga but I doubt he’s going to be as good as Cruyff. Only one player has made their debut in the Dutch top flight while 15, Wim Kras in 1959. 

 

I’m no fan of RVN but having a go at him because we’re not throwing kids in and expecting them to thrive in a shite team is ludicrous.

lets be honest football is completely different now even to when Giggs made his debut... 

 

I dont think anyone wants them thrown in, but you have to involve them and show their is a future in the first team - especially a club like ours and if you dont we all know what is going to happen. 

[when_you're_smiling]

Just now, goose2010 said:

lets be honest football is completely different now even to when Giggs made his debut... 

 

I dont think anyone wants them thrown in, but you have to involve them and show their is a future in the first team - especially a club like ours and if you dont we all know what is going to happen. 

Yeah it’s arguably much more difficult, there’s more pressure and more money around it all.

 

The only 17-year-olds to make their league debuts under Ferguson this century were Macheda and Wellbeck.

[Molson Canadian]

He might not be in a full time training model in the academy. He could be living 1.5 hours or further away travel time from the academy centre meaning he has to attend school elsewhere.  Does the Leicester academy have a full time schooling program on site for the academy players? Allowing them to attend school and train on the same days?  His school commitments which are mandatory most likely don't give him enough time to train appropriately to be included in a senior men's training day.  Ruud most likely doesn't want to play a kid who can't do full match training the week before a game with the senior squad.  Throwing a kid into a premier league game when he can't even train on the same level as the senior players properly is quite risky.

[filbertway]

6 minutes ago, Molson Canadian said:

He might not be in a full time training model in the academy. He could be living 1.5 hours or further away travel time from the academy centre meaning he has to attend school elsewhere.  Does the Leicester academy have a full time schooling program on site for the academy players? Allowing them to attend school and train on the same days?  His school commitments which are mandatory most likely don't give him enough time to train appropriately to be included in a senior men's training day.  Ruud most likely doesn't want to play a kid who can't do full match training the week before a game with the senior squad.  Throwing a kid into a premier league game when he can't even train on the same level as the senior players properly is quite risky.

When we're inevitably 2 or 3-0 down. Can't really see the harm in bringing on a young maverick for 15-20 minutes.

 

Doesn't even have to be Monga, there's plenty of lads doing bits on the dev team that are worth bedding in now ready for the championship.