Development/Youth Squads 2025/2026 Thread - U18/U21

[scinnell]

4 hours ago, Ryy said:

United really really really want both Monga and Page

Sure Page supports United and it's his dream club.

[deep blue]

3 hours ago, shen said:

I don't forget, but if that is held against Maddison then you can't also ignore that Izzet was part of not one but two relegation squads as well.

 

Maddison still had 19 goal contributions that season. He was absolutely not the reason we went down, despite what the anecdotal evidence of the missed Everton penalty would make you believe.

 

Evidence of the penalty miss isn't anecdotal, but factual, and without a doubt it made the difference between us staying up and going down.

 

Izzet might have been in relegation squads but he never gave up but always fought (and tackled) hard, and I seem to remember that his effectiveness was hampered by injuries.  Speaking of tackling, did Maddison or Tielemans even understand the meaning of the word?

Edited 8 May by deep blue
Error

[Rigga]

5 hours ago, shen said:

I don't forget, but if that is held against Maddison then you can't also ignore that Izzet was part of not one but two relegation squads as well.

 

Maddison still had 19 goal contributions that season. He was absolutely not the reason we went down, despite what the anecdotal evidence of the missed Everton penalty would make you believe.

 

Goal contributions or not … last third of the season he downed tools..when the team really needed him..

nowt to do with the missed pen 

 

[Long Eaton Fox]

1 hour ago, deep blue said:

Evidence of the penalty miss isn't anecdotal, but factual, and without a doubt it made the difference between us staying up and going down.

 

Izzet might have been in relegation squads but he never gave up but always fought (and tackled) hard, and I seem to remember that his effectiveness was hampered by injuries.  Speaking of tackling, did Maddison or Tielemans even understand the meaning of the word?

Can we agree that all of these players were special in their own way and contributed to a great period of Leicester success 

[shen]

1 hour ago, deep blue said:

Evidence of the penalty miss isn't anecdotal, but factual, and without a doubt it made the difference between us staying up and going down.

 

Izzet might have been in relegation squads but he never gave up but always fought (and tackled) hard, and I seem to remember that his effectiveness was hampered by injuries.  Speaking of tackling, did Maddison or Tielemans even understand the meaning of the word?

Anecdotal doesn't exclude factual.

I meant it here in exactly the sense you are exemplifying: that the famous miss was a major cause for our relegation. 

It just wasn't. It only served as a vivid memory of our failed season. Hence why it's anecdotal.

 

We played 37 other games that season and he assisted Vardy's goal that game. In fact, the king himself missed several chances that if I recall and he had a far less productive season than Maddison and Tielemans. Our messiah had Daka-like numbers for Christ sake. Did he down tools too?

Can't say I've heard that leveled at him, I wonder why...

 

While the team underperformed as a collective, it was largely a structural breakdown rather than players 'downing tools'. Barnes', Maddison's and Tielemans' numbers were actually quite decent throughout, even their defensive stats were OK.

 

It's simply a myth that surrounds Maddison and Tielemans, which I personally suspect comes from the perception of the players' personality and/or style.

Izzet was never controversial and already had his hero status secured (something Tielemans really should've had with his FA Cup goal as well), so I never felt he faced anywhere near the same kind of scrutiny or criticism as the other two.

 

 

But this has now completely derailed. Again.

My point was initially that I don't believe that a large part of the fans that have been to games over the past ten years will be 'excited' for our Academy prospects in L1. Is that necessarily bad? Probably not if these fans stay away - if it means that the fans that do show up help generate a positive atmosphere to help our young players thrive, then it might be a similar culling of fans as well as the squad.

[Foxes96]

Evans and Page putting in some private training it seems. Hope they both play a big part next season. 
 

From a development perspective, 30-40 odd games at L1 level is probably exactly what Page needs right now, rather than being swallowed up by Uniteds academy 🤞

 

Monga I’ve accepted is off

[indierich06]

4 hours ago, Foxes96 said:

Evans and Page putting in some private training it seems. Hope they both play a big part next season. 
 

From a development perspective, 30-40 odd games at L1 level is probably exactly what Page needs right now, rather than being swallowed up by Uniteds academy 🤞

 

Monga I’ve accepted is off

Any assurances they give Page about game time probably won't be worth the paper they're written on, given that they probably said then same to Monga last season when we got relegated from the PL to get him to stay. Reaping what we've sown yet again. 

[ALC Fox]

Page, Braybrooke and Aluko at the very least seem ready don't they.

 

I feel like Evans has the determination and will to force his way in at some point next season.

 

And if Alves can stay fit, he's absolutely ready for regular League One football.

 

Otchere deserves a chance.

 

I think Gray, Hutchinson, Briggs, Carr, Neale, Motsi and possibly Ali could also get some decent minutes over the course of the season.

[Ryy]

5 minutes ago, ALC Fox said:

Page, Braybrooke and Aluko at the very least seem ready don't they.

 

I feel like Evans has the determination and will to force his way in at some point next season.

 

And if Alves can stay fit, he's absolutely ready for regular League One football.

 

Otchere deserves a chance.

 

I think Gray, Hutchinson, Briggs, Carr, Neale, Motsi and possibly Ali could also get some decent minutes over the course of the season.

I think Ali and Neale should go on loan. Maybe utilise Newport and Tranmere again 

[LCFCJohn]

If any of them like Page get any offers to move, even to the Championship let alone Man Utd, let’s be honest, they’d be daft not to.

 

The one benefit of our decline on the pitch should be a better pathway to first team football. 
 

But we are a thoroughly bad club at developing them and have a fan base who seem to bizarrely, be ashamed of youth prospects being in the side rather than taking pride in it.

 

We will also likely not be focusing on a new manager who prioritises youth.

 

Objectively, what is there to stay for?

[ronnup]

They'll be fighting to get out of this club and will have plenty of offers.

 

We have absolutely ****ed up a huge opportunity 

[lcfc sheff]

It would be worse if they weren’t grabbing the top teams attention. 
 

I don’t us selling them unless we get a really important fee, even with how stupid the club has been run recently; it would hurt more as these young lads are our only source of pride we’ve got left 

[RowlattsFox]

For a club of our size and the academy set up we have, we should be loaning players to league 1 sides. 

If they aren't good enough to play for us this season, will they ever be? 

[Ric Flair]

2 hours ago, indierich06 said:

Any assurances they give Page about game time probably won't be worth the paper they're written on, given that they probably said then same to Monga last season when we got relegated from the PL to get him to stay. Reaping what we've sown yet again. 

Yeah we massively fcuked it last season in that regard. The appointment of Rowett was a disaster, despite our struggles under Marti the majority of academy players would have felt very much included bar the early treatment of Nelson and perhaps the lack of trust in Aluko.

[Rubbersoul]

Apparently Briggs has played for Wales at u21 level. Didn’t realise that. Must’ve completely missed it 

[Lambert09]

15 hours ago, scinnell said:

Sure Page supports United and it's his dream club.

That may be true, not that it matters with a club their size as a player wants to go there regardless. But it’s not like he’s going to play for the first team. 
 

he is still far better suited to getting games under his belt. Moving to qpr and playing well would be better for his career than man united at this stage 

[coolhandfox]

3 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

Yeah we massively fcuked it last season in that regard. The appointment of Rowett was a disaster, despite our struggles under Marti the majority of academy players would have felt very much included bar the early treatment of Nelson and perhaps the lack of trust in Aluko.

Bring in a kid from Man City rather then play Page was a massive error.

 

Bring in Rowett was worse.

[MrsJohnMurphy]

12 hours ago, Rigga said:

Goal contributions or not … last third of the season he downed tools..when the team really needed him..

nowt to do with the missed pen 

 

No he didn't  if anything he tried to do too much himself. Tielemans on the other hand......

[davieG]

 

Undeniable proof that Leicester City midfielder deserves long-awaited chance
A nomination for Premier League 2 player of the season after playing every game and finishing as the leading assist-maker means Logan Briggs should be the first-team conversation

Jordan Blackwell
10:00, 09 May 2026

The attacking midfielder was named on the eight-man shortlist for the Premier League 2 player of the year award after a strong campaign for City’s Under-21s.

Briggs provided a league-leading eight assists, while he also scored six goals, a total of 14 goal involvements ranking him fourth in the division overall.

While he faces tough competition for the award – especially from Chelsea’s Shim Mheuka, who scored 17 goals in 17 games – if Briggs was to win it would be a signal of a very bright future based on previous winners.

Two potential outcomes as Leicester City announce 13-year first

Leicester City transfer priority has obvious 23-goal answer as League One question answered

Premier League quartet Reiss Nelson, Curtis Jones, Liam Delap and James McAtee have all been awarded the prize in the past. The most recent winners were Will Lankshear, who spent this past season on loan at Oxford from Tottenham, and Manchester City centre-back Jahmai Simpson-Pusey.

At the very least, Briggs would be deserving of a first-team chance with City. While he has trained with the senior squad in the past, and was an unused substitute for an FA Cup tie under Enzo Maresca, he is yet to make his senior debut.

While Briggs is now 21, he has been compared to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the past, with the former City favourite proof that players who make a late breakthrough from the academy game can still have excellent careers.

Dewsbury-Hall was 20 before he made his first senior appearance, and 22 when he made his league debut for the club.

Briggs has put in the hard yards, playing in every game in Premier League 2 this season having been a regular fixture in the side for a few years.

That consistency, and the creativity that has seen him top the assist charts, should at least mean he gets a chance to earn a first-team spot in pre-season.

[Ryy]

U18’s ended there season with a 5-0 loss to Chelsea 

[scinnell]

4 hours ago, Lambert09 said:

That may be true, not that it matters with a club their size as a player wants to go there regardless. But it’s not like he’s going to play for the first team. 
 

he is still far better suited to getting games under his belt. Moving to qpr and playing well would be better for his career than man united at this stage 

But players are poorly advised, money talks and the chance to join your favourite club doesn't come around often. 

 

I hope he stays and agree with everything that you said.

[moore_94]

4 hours ago, Lambert09 said:

That may be true, not that it matters with a club their size as a player wants to go there regardless. But it’s not like he’s going to play for the first team. 
 

he is still far better suited to getting games under his belt. Moving to qpr and playing well would be better for his career than man united at this stage 

These big clubs have much better youth development and loan networks than us

 

No reason why they can't go to a club like Man City or Man Utd and end up on loan somewhere in the Championship

[Stadt]

22 hours ago, moore_94 said:

These big clubs have much better youth development and loan networks than us

 

No reason why they can't go to a club like Man City or Man Utd and end up on loan somewhere in the Championship

We’ve produced some really good players over the past 10 years, possibly in the top 6 most productive academies, certainly in the top 10.

 

I just can fathom the best loan opportunities we get are in Scotland and relegation threatened L1 and L2 teams.

 

Logan Briggs is obviously in the running for PL2 POTS, I’m certain League 1 clubs would have been interested but you hear murmurs about the club turning loans down all the time.

[lfu]

23 minutes ago, Stadt said:

We’ve produced some really good players over the past 10 years, possibly in the top 6 most productive academies, certainly in the top 10.

 

I just can fathom the best loan opportunities we get are in Scotland and relegation threatened L1 and L2 teams.

 

Logan Briggs is obviously in the running for PL2 POTS, I’m certain League 1 clubs would have been interested but you hear murmurs about the club turning loans down all the time.

The reason why is that other clubs employ competent people to sort out sending players on loan, ensuring the clubs suit the player and vice versa, and keeping in regular contact with the players out on loan. We hire loan managers like Guy Branston who think you're not ready for men's football if you're not six foot four, or Robert Huth who seemingly was only in the job so he could use the credentials to get free Millwall tickets.

[moore_94]

4 minutes ago, lfu said:

The reason why is that other clubs employ competent people to sort out sending players on loan, ensuring the clubs suit the player and vice versa, and keeping in regular contact with the players out on loan. We hire loan managers like Guy Branston who think you're not ready for men's football if you're not six foot four, or Robert Huth who seemingly was only in the job so he could use the credentials to get free Millwall tickets.

I don’t think we even have a loan manager since the one we had last summer left for Plymouth?

 

Or if we do it isn’t listed anywhere

 

I can’t remember if it was after Branston or Huth left but I remember Callum Wright saying that once the loan manager left he went like 3-4 months with zero contact from anyone at the club, which doesn’t surprise me at all