Leicester City coach reveals hope for next season that will excite supporters

Leicester City development squad coach Ben Petty is hoping he can get one or two of the club’s talented youngsters into the first team set-up next season after their promising Premier League 2 campaign continued over the Easter weekend.

A change of tack from City this season saw them field a very young group at Under-23 level, but it has not harmed results, with Monday’s 4-1 win over Blackburn, combined with Good Friday’s 2-1 success against Derby County, taking them up to fifth in the table. With two games to go, they could finish anywhere between second and ninth.

Some of the players from the side have already made their senior debuts this season, like Wanya Madivadua and Will Alves, while Sammy Braybrooke was on the bench for the two legs against PSV Eindhoven. But after showing their talent this season, Petty is hoping next season can see a couple of his starlets prove they can make the step up to become permanent fixtures in Brendan Rodgers’ squad.

“I’m very proud,” Petty told LCFC TV. “It’s been a long season and we’ve had to work really hard at trying to establish a style of play.

“It’s a very young team and they’ve needed to be nurtured at times. They’ve had one or two rocky games, but overall we’ve had a lot of faith in them and we’re seeing the rewards of having some really good young players in the team.

“We’ve got to work really hard next season. It’s going to be tougher. We’ve set an expectation and people think we’re going to be better because we’re a little bit older and a bit more mature.

“That’s my role, to keep the lads’ feet on the ground and keep them working. Then let’s see if we can get one or two of them into the first team for the manager.”

One of those who might be pushing is striker Chris