Elated Thomas Targeting Top Spot

- Luke Thomas says Leicester City will aim to finish as Group G winners after sealing qualification to the Round of 32
- The young left-back scored his side’s second goal of the night on Thursday, notching his first senior strike for the Football Club
- City drew 3-3 with SC Braga at Estádio Municipal de Braga
- Thomas believes he will benefit from his first team involvement this campaign

City fell behind early on via an Al Musrati strike, but winger Harvey Barnes equalised with a superb finish on nine minutes before it was Thomas’ turn to cancel out another Braga goal, this time from Paulinho.

The visiting side were tasked with coming from behind for a third time in the game when Fransergio struck on 90 minutes, and it was Jamie Vardy who accepted the challenge by arriving at the back post to bag a decisive goal for the Foxes.

Thomas told LCFC TV: “Obviously, it's a great feeling for the team, we spoke in the changing rooms after about qualifying. We've not topped the group yet, but we're looking to go into next week and hopefully get three points and top the group.

“We were behind in the game three times, it obviously shows the mentality of us as a team and a group to come back from 1-0 down, 2-1 down, and 3-2, and scoring in the last minute of the game shows the mentality that the lads have.

“All the lads are buzzing to qualify and obviously coming back from behind three times, like I've already said, is an unbelievable achievement for us from a game which we didn't start great at all.

“The first half, I didn't feel was the best, we didn't get to grips with the game. But in the second half we came out a different team and I felt we played really well in the second half. We dominated possession and we've come back from behind, so the lads are buzzing.” 

England youth defender Thomas also underlined the value of his first team involvement, and reflected on the moment he found the net for the first time in his professional career for his boyhood team.

“[It was] very special,” he said. “It's obviously a dream come true with Leicester being my home town. Obviously, playing for Leicester is the best feeling that there could possibly be. Getting my first goal for the Club, I'm over the moon with it.

“Playing European football and travelling away with lads, it's great for me because I get to be with the squad a lot more and I get days where we're just not really doing a lot, and I can get to know the lads a lot better throughout the time.

“And then to play in Europe is the best feeling I've had. I'm over the moon with how it's going so far.”