Career revival, valuable option, cup final – Leicester City players with the most to prove

Leicester City play their first official pre-season friendly of the summer at Shrewsbury on Tuesday night and it will be a real chance to impress new boss Steve Cooper.

The manager will also weigh up performances in training and use his research on City to draw conclusions about the squad and how he wants his team to prepare before the start of the season. But there’s no better way to prove a point in pre-season than in a matchday scenario like City will have at Croud Meadow.

So of all the current members of the squad, who has the most to prove with their performances in the pre-season friendlies? Here, our writers pick the City players they urge to show their best qualities this summer.

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Amy Wilson

Another managerial change this summer means Harry Souttar could be given another chance to revive his Leicester City career after falling down the pecking order under Enzo Maresca.

He made just four appearances in all competitions last season, but with Cooper often playing in a back three during his time with Forest, there could be room for more centre-backs in the squad for next season. The arrival of Caleb Okoli adds more competition, but if Souttar impresses during the pre-season then he could easily put himself in contention.

There were no glaring mistakes or underperforming performances that would have kept Souttar from being selected. He had six months in the Premier League after signing from Stoke and didn’t stand out as being unable to cope in the division.

Souttar has competition from Wout Faes, Okoli, Conor Coady, Ben Nelson and Jannik Vestergaard. The latter has yet to return to training after appearing with Denmark at Euro 2024.

Souttar could therefore use the clash against Shrewsbury as well as training to try and attract attention. He could use Vestergaard as inspiration on how to change your club career with the Dane in a similar situation to Souttar this time last year.

Josh Holland

A new manager and a new season bring new opportunities. At City, that is certainly the case and there is a long list of players who need to impress Steve Cooper ahead of the Tottenham game.

Far from the obvious, Kasey McAteer is someone who has a big summer ahead of her. Despite outstanding moments against Rotherham and Southampton, he hardly set the world on fire with his performances.

Impressive performances from Stephy Mavididi and Abdul Fatawu meant he was often used from the bench. That will likely be the case this season, but Cooper will be keen to see if he has the ability to make an impact in the Premier League.

Against better opposition, McAteer could struggle. But on the other hand, he has proven his work ethic and passion for the football club before. A strong pre-season behind him and Leicester could have themselves a valuable option off the bench and strong competition in attacking areas. If not, at 22, a loan move to the Championship with regular playing time may be his best route.

Jordan Blackwell

Patson Daka has more to gain than just Cooper. He also has City fans. Missing a one-on-one at Leeds to beat City 2-0 in February proved costly and appeared to dent Daka’s confidence. The poor finishing continued and in the defeat to Plymouth in April, the Zambian looked truly lacking in self-belief, squandering golden opportunities. He scored seven goals in his first 23 shots last season, but none in his last 16.

The Plymouth ducks were the final straw for many City supporters. Hopes of Daka ever being a viable long-term replacement for Jamie Vardy are over. Maresca took him out of the team then as well, but he had been with him for some time before.

The Italian’s confidence in Dhaka was due in part to his energy, his pace and his willingness to press relentlessly from the front. The striker needs to emphasize those qualities again this summer, as it is an area where he has the edge over Vardy. Then it’s about making runs off the last defender’s shoulder, finding spaces in the box – none of which are a problem for him – and keeping a cool head to finish off chances.

Because the battle for City’s striker places feels wide open. A very good pre-season could see Daka challenge Vardy to be the club’s starter up front. A poor pre-season and Daka’s future could be in doubt, with the Zambian a more obvious candidate to be replaced by a new signing than Vardy or Tom Cannon. Next month could make a big difference.

Which player do you think has the most to prove? Click HERE to have your say.