Our Hard Work Paid Off, Says Brunt

Development Squad
01 Mar 2022
2 Minutes
Lewis Brunt expressed his satisfaction at leading Leicester City’s Development Squad to a shutout against Manchester City Under-23s and a fifth game unbeaten on Monday evening.

- Leicester City’s Development Squad draw 0-0 with Manchester City at LCFC Training Ground
- Monday’s result makes it five games unbeaten for Leicester in Premier League 2
- Lewis Brunt praised the hard-working display from his team-mates to keep a clean sheet
- It’s Derby County away up next for the seventh-placed Foxes

Up against the division’s most potent attacking force, who had scored a total of 50 goals in just 20 games heading into the latest Premier League 2 Division 1 encounter at LCFC Training Ground, few would have marked this down as a goalless draw.

But that’s how it finished in Seagrave thanks to a fine defensive display from the Foxes youngsters, who battled their way to earning another point against the current PL2 champions and league leaders.

Speaking to LCFC TV in the aftermath of the stalemate, captain on the night Brunt pointed to the way the whole team grafted to keep the Citizens at bay, producing a mature performance to remain compact and organised throughout the contest.

“It’s definitely one we can be proud of,” the centre-back commented in his post-match interview. “Real hard work, but 0-0 against probably the best team in the country, you can’t argue with that.

“It’s one of the main things that me and the back four come into every game thinking: ‘Can we keep a clean sheet?’ Obviously doing that helps the lads up the top of the pitch score goals and win games.

“It can be both mentality and physically draining, not having the ball for long periods of possession, it can wear you down, so just staying concentrated for the full duration of the game, I’m proud of the lads.”

Following three successive victories, back-to-back home draws against two sides in the top four have kept Leicester ticking along nicely, bringing their overall points tally to 27 from 19 matches, sitting seventh in the standings.

Avoiding defeat for a lengthy spell has provided momentum within the squad and also heightened the confidence that they can compete with any side in the division as they look to end the season on a high, starting with the short trip to face Derby County at Pride Park in two weeks’ time.

The defender continued: “That’s what we’re aiming for as a team really, to try and push up the table, finish as high as we can, but definitely at home, we’re trying to make this place hard for teams to come to and beat us, so it’s definitely rewarding to go another game unbeaten.

“Going to these teams at the top of the table and putting on performances and getting a positive result, for the lads in there, the confidence is sky high.

“[Derby away] is one we’re looking forward to, especially with games in hand. Being at a big stadium, away from home, it’s always good playing in a stadium.”