Khanya Leshabela included in Leicester City Premier League squad

Nineteen-year-old winger Khanya Leshabela looks set to make his English Premier League debut this year after he was included in the Foxes first team squad for the 2019/20 season.

He was actually included in a first-team fixture last year already when he was named on the bench for a match against Southampton but did not come onto the field.

Who is Khanya Leshabela?

Leshabela is a pacey winger, who is capable of playing in a more central attacking role as well. Because of this, he cuts in off the wing very well, similar to a past African Leicester star Riyad Mahrez.

His family moved to the United Kingdom when he was young, so he actually began his football career over there and has no history with any local clubs.

He joined the Foxes youth academy in March 2013 when he was just 13 years old. He progressed well in the academy and became a star player in the under-18 side in the 2017/18 season.

By the 2018/19 season, he was a regular in the under-23 team playing in the Premier League 2 Division 1.

Signed a new contract in January

He was rewarded for his swift progress when Leicester offered him a new three-and-a-half-year contract at the start of 2019, effectively securing his services until the middle of 2022.

“I’ve worked hard to get this and I’m just grateful to be given such an opportunity,” he said at the time.

“This is the hard bit right now. I’m just looking to push forward and push into the first team.

“It’s gone really quick. It literally just flies by. It’s been a good journey and I just want to stay in the game for many more years.”

Fight for a place in the first team

All that’s left for this rising star of both South Africa and Leicester is to prove his worth and earn a place in the first team.

This will be no mean feat, though, as he will battling with the likes of Nigeria’s Wilfred Ndidi, and British pair Mark Albrighton and James Maddison.