Ruud van Nistelrooy Reveals the Players Who Should Form the Core of Leicester City’s Future Squad
Van Nistelrooy: Monga and Evans Show the Youth-Focused Path Leicester Must Follow
Leicester City manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has emphasized the importance of building the team around homegrown talent to secure long-term success.
As the club faces the threat of relegation, van Nistelrooy has already shifted focus to next season by promoting the best of the academy into the senior squad.
In recent matches, he has given first-team debuts to youngsters Jeremy Monga and Jake Evans, while 18-year-old full-back Bade Aluko was included on the bench against Brighton.
These teenagers were preferred over senior players such as Jannik Vestergaard and Harry Winks, both of whom were left out of the squad.
The expectation is that these academy products will continue to feature in the remaining six games of the season.
At Brighton, Luke Thomas and Kasey McAteer—both academy graduates—were in the starting line-up, and van Nistelrooy believes players like them must form the core of the team moving forward.
When asked about Jake Evans’ prospects following his appearance at the Amex, van Nistelrooy confirmed: “Of course.
We’re looking at the academy players. Bade Aluko was also on the bench. They’re part of the set-up. This is how we move the club forward.”
He added that Leicester’s academy has a strong tradition of producing quality players and that integrating them into the senior squad is crucial.
“There are many talented players, and including them in future plans helps create a foundation of homegrown players—those who want to be here and uphold the highest standards.
That’s the only way to take this club forward.”
Looking ahead, loanees Ben Nelson (Oxford) and Will Alves (Cardiff) are expected to be integral parts of next season’s squad.
Their inclusion will further strengthen the presence of academy-developed players within the team.
With the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) tightening financial constraints, nurturing in-house talent has become even more vital.
Leicester’s most recent financial report highlighted the benefit of developing and selling academy players, with the sales of Harvey Barnes and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall bringing in over £60 million combined.
