Wakeling: It’s A Learning Curve
- Leicester City’s Development Squad were defeated 4-1 by Fleetwood Town in the Papa John’s Trophy
- Jake Wakeling scored a goal for the Foxes late on in the second half at Highbury Stadium
- The forward spoke to LCFC TV about the learning experience
- He added that City’s youngsters will collectively aim to improve in their remaining group fixtures
The Foxes were beaten 4-1 by Sky Bet League 1 outfit Fleetwood Town, who raced into a two-goal lead ahead of half-time and added two further goals in the second period, with Callum Morton claiming the match ball after finding the net on three occasions.
Wakeling, 19, believes the squad will learn massively from the experience of playing against seasoned professionals, being tested in different ways to the Premier League 2 Division 1 programme.
And with a young Development Squad side including several Under-18s players, he has no doubt that they will take it on board and be ready to face Accrington Stanley and Barrow AFC in the final two group stage games.
“I think it’s disappointing with the goals we conceded,” the forward told LCFC TV in his post-match interview. “But the main thing to take from the game is that we just learn from the negatives.
“We need to look back at the goals we conceded, review that and turn it into positives come the next game. It’s a massive learning curve. The challenges were just the physical aspects of the game and the way they play when they get the ball, they are straight on you.
“It’s a massive development for all of us, we’re a young team, a new team who are gelling every day and I’ve no doubt it will be okay next game.”
Wakeling was pitted up against a former Leicester City Development Squad player in Darnell Johnson, who recently made a permanent move to Fleetwood, and the 19-year-old admitted it was a challenge to be marked by the imposing centre-back.
The ex-West Bromwich Albion youngster did manage to get on the scoresheet in the end, though, expertly flicking in Vontae Daley-Campbell’s cross with just under 15 minutes to play at Highbury Stadium, to end a testing night on a positive note.
Wakeling added: “It was tough, he (Darnell Johnson) is a big lad, it was tough for me. It was a new experience playing against men rather than in PL2, so I’ll take massive learning curves from it and put it into my next performance.
“I’m disappointed in myself because I should have had the first one in the first half. I’m happy I got the goal but it’s just a disappointing result really. My main job, I’m up there to score goals, I’m a goalscorer, so I’m happy to score goals, that’s what I love doing.”
City’s Under-23s return to Premier League 2 Division 1 action on Monday 13 September, when they face Crystal Palace Under-23s at LCFC Training Ground (7pm BST kick-off).