Leicester City have a good crop of young players, with a few earmarked as potential starters for the Foxes in the near future.
The club rates Sammy Braybrooke and Will Alves highly, but Ben Nelson looks closest to breaking into the starting lineup. The 20-year-old centre-back was on the fringes of the first-team squad for the majority of last season. Enzo Maresca decided to give Nelson a deserved Foxes debut towards the end of the campaign. The defender made a total of five appearances last season, including two starts.
Steve Cooper considered keeping Nelson to be a part of his first-team squad this season, but the young defender wanted to leave for regular minutes. He subsequently joined newly promoted EFL Championship side Oxford United on a one-year loan deal. Nelson was an unused substitute for his first two games with the Yellows and was handed his debut against Burnley on 28 September. The youngster played the full 90 minutes in the 0-0 draw at the Kassam Stadium.
Des Buckingham full of praise for Ben Nelson
Nelson impressed with his solid performance, and Oxford manager Des Buckingham was full of praise for the England Under-20 international in his post-match interview.
“We’ve got a wonderful young player who has played at this level in Ben Nelson. He’s been patiently waiting and training well. After 15 or 20 minutes, he calmed down and settled down and showed the type of player he can be and will be.”
Since his debut against Burnley, Nelson has played in every Oxford game. The centre-back has been solid at the back and reliable when in possession. His passing accuracy is 85%, and he averages four ball recoveries and seven clearances per game. Additionally, Nelson has a duel win rate of over 60% and has recorded seven tackles and interceptions.
Nelson is still in the early stages of his career, but his potential is evident. A strong season in the Championship with Oxford could see him challenge for a starting spot for the Foxes next year.