16 July, 2020 is a date Luke Thomas will never forget. After coming through the ranks at his boyhood club, joining at the age of seven, he was included in Brendan Rodgers’ matchday squad for the visit of Sheffield United.
In the strangest Premier League season of all, interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, three fixtures remained as Leicester City continued to battle towards the upper echelons of the top-flight table.
The Blades, meanwhile, were enjoying an excellent first season back in the Premier League and entered the game full of confidence after back-to-back wins over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea.
Sitting in seventh position, they were on course for a potential European spot and would provide a stern test of City's credentials as the Foxes looked to bounce back from defeat at Bournemouth the previous matchday.
With both Ben Chilwell and Christian Fuchs unavailable for the clash, Thomas was named in the starting XI, making his maiden professional start after 20 appearances for the Development Squad during 2019/20.
The Syston-born defender, wearing No.56, lined up as a left-wing back in a 3-5-2 system, but the then-19-year-old had plenty of experienced heads around him, with a back three of Jonny Evans, Wes Morgan and Ryan Bennett positioned in front of Kasper Schmeichel.
And the full-back’s debut could hardly have got off to a better start as he provided the assist for Ayoze Pérez’s opener. On nine minutes, a wicked delivery from Thomas had almost broke the deadlock, though Pérez headed wide.
But the Spaniard made no mistake when he controlled the youngster’s composed pass before firing into the corner just before the half hour mark.
It was a lead the hosts deserved, and it was doubled with a little over 10 minutes remaining at King Power Stadium. Substitute Demarai Gray was found by Jamie Vardy and he took a touch before finding the back of the net.
Those three points secured European football for the first time since competing in the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League.
Thomas had claimed an assist and clean sheet on debut, helping Leicester to record successive home league wins without conceding for the first time since January 2018, also keeping four consecutive Premier League shutouts on Filbert Way for the first time in over four years.
The Academy graduate’s impressive bow led to his inclusion in the starting XI for the final two matches of the season, against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.
A year on, Thomas has established himself as an integral member of the first team squad, playing 25 times in 2020/21, scoring his first Premier League goal in a 2-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford in May 2021.