Barnes: Nothing Recreates Game Minutes

- Harvey Barnes makes his first appearance for Leicester City in five months
- The Academy winger played the opening 45 minutes in Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Queens Park Rangers
- Barnes has spent the summer recovering from a knee injury he sustained in February

The Academy graduate had not featured in five months due to a knee injury, however after a summer of recovery and rehabilitation, he made his maiden pre-season appearance at Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

With another pre-season friendly against Villarreal at King Power Stadium on the horizon, Barnes will be aiming to accumulate more minutes as City’s FA Community Shield clash with Manchester City, and their Premier League opener a week later, fast approaches.

“I obviously enjoyed being back out there,” he told LCFC TV. “I think today, for me, was just about enjoying it. It was just getting the feel of being back in a game situation again.

“No matter how much training you do, nothing quite recreates the game. Getting that first one out of the way and getting a taste for it again... I'm really excited for the next few weeks now.

“You do the training games and all that stuff, but being against an actual opposition, obviously, and having the crowds back in a match situation, there is nothing that can recreate it.

“So, these games for me are going to be important. Match fitness, sharpness, so I can just keep building on that now.

“It's difficult watching sometimes, even though we did have some great moments, got the FA Cup and everything.

“But yes, it feels like it's been so long over the off-season, then pre-season. Now you're itching to get back into the game, so to finally get back out there, it's a great feeling.”

Barnes looked lively on the left flank in the opening 45 minutes, and he knows there will be many more bright moments to look forward to in the coming weeks.

“I had a few good little moments,” he added. “Of course, there are still going to be little bits I still need to work on and just going to come back in the next few games. So, good and bad bits.

“But just the whole thing was just so enjoyable for me. [I’ll] probably [feel it] tomorrow morning! Hopefully, because it's only 45 [minutes] it won't be too bad. But definitely, the first game, you're always going to feel it.”

The Foxes twice came from behind on Saturday, with their first goals of pre-season coming from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Patson Daka and Kelechi Iheanacho.

He added: “I think first half, it was a bit cagey. We weren't quite at our best. Second half, it just came alive, didn't it?

“So, in the end, it was a great game for everyone watching, a great game for the lads to be involved in, good to get our first few goals as well.

“It's always important to get that confidence. So, we're looking to build on that on Wednesday.”