International Academy: Youngsters Continue Rapid Progression

- Youngsters have made significant progression since joining in January, according to International Academy Joint Head Coach Rodney Ballantine 

- LCFCIA took on Mansfield Town’s Under-18s away from home on Tuesday 

Leicester City’s International Academy continue to progress on and off the field, as their educational and footballing development gathers momentum right here in Leicester. 

Their time at Ratcliffe College – one of Leicester’s leading educators – is coupled with group activities that hone their team-building skills, with paintballing most recently on the agenda. 

The youngsters’ first term back since their return from a summer break in Thailand has so far coincided with some positive results on the pitch also. 

The 16-man squad have settled well into their busy educational programme, in turn allowing them to continue their experience as young footballers in England in a positive manner. 

The facilities at Belvoir Drive have provided the International Academy with the foundations to develop their technical ability, while also being immersed in an environment that so few aspiring footballers at that age get a taste of. 

Working closely each young footballer is International Academy Joint Head Coach Rodney Ballantine, who has noticed a significant increase in their understanding of the English culture since they first came to Leicester in January. 

Rodney said: “Now, I think they’ve got a really good idea of what is expected of them in terms of their hard work at both Ratcliffe College and Leicester City. 

“Towards Christmas and into the New Year, I think they will be doing magnificently. They’ve applied themselves really well since they’ve come back and that’s really positive. 

“There’s no doubting the lads’ technical ability, it’s just their game management that we need to continue to develop. If you look at them now compared to where they were six or seven months ago, they’ve come a long way.” 

After a 1-0 win over local side Leicester Nirvana on Saturday, the youngsters resumed their regular games programme on Tuesday afternoon as they took on Mansfield Town’s Under-18s at Brooksby Melton College. 

It was the first match in a double header against Mansfield and while it was the hosts who ran out eventual 3-2 winners, there were plenty of positives to take from the game. 

Rodney continued: “We were probably the better team against Mansfield in terms of tactics and organisation. There were just two mistakes in our performance, which led to their second and third goals. 

“We lost the game because of that, but we are now showing just how good we are in terms of possession and defending. That’s something we’ve really been working on recently. We’ve got another game against Mansfield coming up next week, which is fantastic.” 

The progression of each LCFCIA player, not just on the field, has been rapid since they first came to the Club in January, so make sure you check back into LCFC.com in the coming days as we continue to keep you up-to-date with their progression.