Demarai Gray scored both goals as Leicester City beat West Ham United’s 23 side on Monday night with the coaches of both teams paying tribute to a fine display from the seldom-seen winger.
It says a lot about the quality at Brendan Rodgers’ disposal that a £29 million striker and a Premier Laegue-winning winger are being forced to drop down to the reserves in search of some much-needed game time.
Gray started as Leicester hosted West Ham on Monday, partnering former record signing Islam Slimani in attack.
But while the latter was rather anonymous up front, the same could not be said of a former Birmingham City wonderkid who clearly had a point to prove – and prove it he most certainly did.
Gray scored two goals Jamie Vardy himself would have been proud off, racing away from the West Ham defence before slotting clinically past visiting goalkeeper Nathan Trott.
“Demarai [Gray] was a threat all night with his speed and how direct he was and he was the difference between the two sides in the end I thought,” former Leicester defender and now U23 boss Sean St Ledger told the Foxes’ official website.
West Ham counterpart Dmitri Halajko, meanwhile, was left wondering what might have been as Gray scored a late winner moments after Emmanuel Longelo and Kai Corbett struck the woodwork.
“It highlighted what Premier League quality is all about. Demarai Gray got the ball only twice in the 90 minutes in dangerous positions, and he’s punished us both times,” Halajko said after a game in which Leicester triumphed despite losing Vontae Daley-Campbell to an early red card.
“Those pros who were out there today showed what top-level quality is all about.”
Gray has only made one first-team appearance for Leicester this season and even that came in an EFL Cup clash with Arsenal, having been left out of the squad for every single Premier League game thus far.
But if he wants to force his way back into Rodgers’ plans, he’s going about things in the right way.
Leicester received a further boost as Ricardo Pereira continued his recovery from injury with a start on Monday, while Khanya Leshabela, who set up both of Gray’s goals, looked a class apart in midfield.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
