Foxes Stars Surprise Academy Hopefuls At Belvoir Drive!
- Leicester City's first team headed to the Academy pitches last week to spring a very special surprise
- Jamie Vardy, Kasper Schmeichel and Harry Maguire trained with U7s, U8s and U9s age groups
- Academy graduates Hamza Choudhury, Ben Chilwell and Harvey Barnes also passed on some tips
- The Club's Academy hopes these evens can inspire the region's most talented players to fulfil their potential
As part of its commitment to identifying the region's most exciting talent, Leicester City's Academy provides a comprehensive training and games programme for talented youngsters living within Leicester and the surrounding area.
During the Easter school holidays, meanwhile, sessions for the youngest age groups - Under-7s, Under-8s and Under-9s - are incredibly popular as the Club's Academy staff deliver engaging and fun training tutorials at Belvoir Drive.
On Friday, two days before the senior side's excellent 3-0 victory over Arsenal - a match which included outings for three Academy graduates - members of City's first team headed up to the youth team pitches for a kick-about.
Neither the children nor their parents had been told the likes of Kasper Schmeichel, Jamie Vardy and Harry Maguire would be dropping by, meaning everyone in attendance was stunned when they arrived unannounced after training.
The senior contingent - which also included Jonny Evans, Harvey Barnes, James Maddison, Hamza Choudhury, Marc Albrighton and Ben Chilwell - spent over an hour passing on essential tips and posing for photos with the younger players.
"It’s all about enjoying yourself at this age and enjoying the game so it's fantastic to see all the lads here playing with a smile of their faces," England international Maguire told LCFC TV after going through defensive drills with the Under-8s.
"That’s what we're trying to do, give them an afternoon to remember so hopefully they'll be able to go on and achieve their dreams. The sessions which have been put on are great fun and that’s what it’s all about at this age."
Chilwell, meanwhile, joined the Club in his early teenage years and, after being nurtured through the Academy's system over previous season, is now a fully-fledged England international with six senior caps to his name.
He said: "I remember being this age, literally training on this pitch right here here! I was training in the dome and on the 3G and I was just saying to the boys how much it’s changed. It's great to spend some time with the lads here today!
"I’ve literally not been up here for about four or five years and I've loved seeing how much it's changed. Obviously as a young boy, you always want to meet the first team players so it was important for us to come up here and show our support."
Stuart McClarty, the Academy's Assistant Lead Foundation Phase Coach for the Under-9s to Under-11s age groups, explained why events such as these mean so much to both the Academy's staff and players.
"It’s a very special time for the boys," McClarty said. "It’s a nice surprise for them. We’ve had our three Academy graduates and some of the other lads come up - all of whom the younger lads really look up to.
"It’s been a fantastic day where they've had the opportunity just get to interact with the boys and have a great time. The parents and the players and the staff all know what the end goal here is – to try and produce players for our first team.
"Over previous years, we’ve done that really, really well and we’re hoping that we can continue that over the next few years. Today might just give them a little bit more motivation to do the extra work that may - one day - get them over the line."
For more information about the Leicester City Academy - including contact details, facilities, medical provision, education, and accomplishments, click HERE.