Dewsbury-Hall Eager To Shine For Leicester
- Leicester City returned to Seagrave for pre-season testing and training on Monday
- Young midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was among the players to report back for duty
- The Academy graduate impressed greatly on a season-long loan at Luton Town last term
- Now he's determined to continue his development with his boyhood club
Dewsbury-Hall won a raft of seasonal accolades after the conclusion of a 2020/21 campaign which saw the Shepshed-based central midfielder make 40 appearances as Luton Town finished a commendable 12th in the Sky Bet Championship.
Now, though, the 22-year-old is back in pre-season testing and training at LCFC Training Ground alongside his Foxes colleagues ahead of the Club's eighth consecutive season in the Premier League – and he's determined to impress manager Brendan Rodgers this summer.
"I've managed to have a good rest and I think I've come back into pre-season in good shape," the talented Leicester midfielder told LCFC TV outside the King Power Centre in Seagrave. "I'm ready to get into it now and kick on.
"I was really proud with what I did at Luton. That was the plan for me to go out and have a full season in a really good league and I did everything there that I planned on doing in my head. I'm just glad I was able to carry that out and everyone could see what I can do as a footballer.
"I was rewarded with the trophies at the end, but the whole team there helped me evolve as a person and as a player and it's only helped me develop. I'm back here now with a lot more strings to my bow and I'm looking to really push on and make an impact here at Leicester.
"At Luton, it was Saturday-Tuesday games for months and your body evolves and adapts to that. It's getting stronger and you're getting used to playing game after game because it's so physical in that league. You also, obviously, have to adjust to different styles of play.
"We know how Leicester play, but there were times when Luton had to play in a different way depending on which team we were playing. I went there and I learned to play a different style, so if that's ever needed in the future, I can revert to that. I'm comfortable in a lot of different situations.
"I've just evolved a lot as a person and as a player and that can only be beneficial for me going forward."
That development, both personally and tactically, will equip Dewsbury-Hall well as the Club's players prepare for a season which will also include a second entry in the UEFA Europa League. After seeing the Foxes lift the Emirates FA Cup last season, Dewsbury-Hall is keen to contribute to more memories.
"It's given me so much hunger," he added. "I'm a big believer in my own ability and I know what I can do on the pitch. I saw how well Leicester did last season. They've really pushed on as a club and it's exciting to be able to come back into the mix and play with these fantastic players.
"I've been here since I was eight years-old, for a similar time to Harvey [Barnes] and Hamza [Choudhury]. It's a dream to be able to play for your boyhood club. I've managed to do that by making my debut and the next step now is to play in the Premier League for them consistently.
"I'd say we're a team now who are really looking to push on and look for trophies. We won the FA Cup and I want to play at the top level. That's your dream as a kid. You want to play in the Premier League and you want to win things. You want to show everyone how good you are.
"It's so, so exciting and I'm looking forward to getting going. Hopefully, I can make an impact, get into the team, and show the fans what I can do. That's what I want to do as a player. I want to excite people and I'm hoping I can do that."
Dewsbury-Hall is also looking forward to working more closely with Rodgers, who the Academy graduate revealed watched on from afar as he impressed many at Kenilworth Road last season. It's now about working hard in training to demonstrate his abilities, the Foxes youngster says.
"We've had a couple of really good conversations," he explained. "He monitored me closely at Luton, which for a player is really good because it's important for your parent club manager to know how you're doing and how you're reacting to everything. We've had some good chats since I've been back.
"He's given me a good pathway of what he wants from me as a player, things he wants me to keep doing and improve on, or work on, so it's exciting. He's one of the best managers in the world. I'm only going to develop under him. He's going to help me as a player and he's going to push me to the next level."