Emile Heskey believes Leicester City need to keep hold of Hamza Choudhury while tipping Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to make a big step forward up under Brendan Rodgers, speaking exclusively to HITC.
While it was a 33-year-old who inspired one of the most impressive victories in Leicester’s history, Sunday’s 5-2 thumping of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, there will be life at the King Power once the evergreen Jamie Vardy has hung up his boots.
Harvey Barnes, Youri Tielemans, Caglar Soyuncu, James Justin, Wilfred Ndidi, Timothy Castagne and James Maddison, who scored an early Goal of the Season contender at the Etihad, are all 24 and under.
Now, another fresh-faced youngster in the stocky shape of Choudhury has struggled for game time in the first few weeks of 2020/21.
But Heskey is confident a tough-tackling scrapper reminiscent of the days when football was played on mud fields rather than pristine, sunkissed lawns still has a big part to play.
“He gives you something different, the tenacity, the bite,” Heskey says of the Leicester academy graduate, who had been tipped to take Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s place at Southampton by The Telegraph.
“(Choudhury) doesn’t mind a challenge, although there’s maybe too many challenges at times. He can be on the brink of red cards!
“But you need that in there sometimes, that little battler. And because he’s a young lad he gets around the pitch very well. I would love to see him stay but it’s down to the club and Brendan.”
Choudhury made his first start of the season alongside debutant Dewsbury-Hall in last week’s 2-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Carabao Cup fourth round.
And while many of Leicester’s fringe players missed a rare opportunity to impress against the Gunners, a 22-year-old fresh from a loan spell at Blackpool certainly looked the part, passing the ball with a confidence and composure which belied his lack of senior experience.
“With Brendan, he gives kids an opportunity,” says Heskey, who came through Leicester’s academy like Dewsbury-Hall.
“(Dewsbury-Hall) did actually show that he’s capable of stepping into the first-team frame. It’s difficult for younger lads cause they’ve got to hit the ground running but he did very, very well (against Arsenal).
“He gives you another option in midfield because you’re going to pick up injuries and suspensions. Ndidi is out (for three months).
“(Dewsbury-Hall) had a good showing, if there’s any chance of him getting in you’d be very confident of him doing well.”
While Leicester’s midfield is not short of quality or quantity, Heskey believes the 2016 league champions need to bring in a new defender with just days left in the window – especially given that Wes Morgan and Jonny Evans are both the wrong side of 30.
“I would love to see ad defender coming in. Jonny is getting to an age where little niggly injuries just keep coming back, and then you’ve got Wes who is of an age as well,” the former England international says.
“Defensively, it would be nice to get a central defender in to go with Soyuncu, who is a phenomenal player. Someone young who can play alongside him.”
With The Guardian confirming that a £36 million deal for St Etienne wonderkid Wesley Fofana has been agreed, Heskey’s wish is about to come true.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
