Among the golden generation of Leicester talent, exciting prospect Jake Evans is quickly making a name for himself. Despite going through the peculiar route of a loan to the league below with Northampton Town at just 17 years old, he’s quickly found his feet.
Evans scored for the first time in men’s football on Easter Monday as Northampton succumbed to a seventh consecutive defeat. The Leicester loanee is powerful, a great finisher, and now has EFL experience. It’s a perfect archetype for City’s next number nine, which makes next season all the more interesting.
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Exciting Prospect Jake Evans: The Next Leicester Academy Graduate to Become a First-Team Regular?
Emerging Through The Ranks
Towards the end of last season, the two names every Leicester fan was excited to see in the Championship were Evans and Jeremy Monga. Both teenagers were consistently training with the first team and made a few appearances towards the back end of the season. It felt all the more fitting that Evans took to the pitch during a 2-0 win against Ipswich, as Jamie Vardy came off for the last ever time for City. A real passing off the torch moment. However, after featuring in pre-season, Marti Cifuentes decided against keeping him in the first team squad.
An interesting decision, especially as Evans showed he was way too good for the Under-21s level during the season prior. Despite this, he shone for the academy, scoring eight goals before January.
Before the loan move to his local club, Northampton Town, it’s also important to note that Evans played in the Under-17s World Cup and made the first-team bench a few times. An opportunity to see him with the senior players was ultimately squandered when Cifuentes elected to bring on Jordan Ayew and Wanya Marcal in an F.A Cup game against Cheltenham.
First Loan Spell
A loan move was the perfect way forward for Evans. Experience of pressurised surroundings, and playing against men twice a week. It’s an ideal scenario for a teenager, too good for others his own age. The attacker has since featured on 13 occasions for the Cobblers and has been a bright spark within a side destined for relegation. He picked up Man of the Match awards in consecutive home games, alongside a first goal at the senior level.
Whilst everything hasn’t been perfect, Evans will have learnt so much from the short spell, which should bode well for his future within the Foxes’ first team. Previous manager Kevin Nolan even sang his praises a month back, which further highlights his impressive performances.“He’s a grounded kid, and we’re lucky to have him,” Nolan explained. “If he continues on his path, we will see him in the Premier League one day, I’ve got every faith in that.”
With Nolan’s relatively recent departure, Colin Calderwood has arrived on an interim basis. The new Cobblers boss discussed his first goal and his chances to kick on in the future. He said: “You can see that, with game experience, and as he matures in his body and his thought process, he’s got an excellent chance of moving forward and having a nice career.” It seems Evans has all the tools to become City’s next academy star, with first-team opportunities likely to open up next season.
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How Does This Affect Leicester Next Season?
Despite the precarious situation that Leicester find themselves in, Evans is making a case for him to be pivotal regardless of the league they are in. Leicester’s striker issues have been at the forefront of their problems this season, with Jordan Ayew and Patson Daka not able to fill the void left by Jamie Vardy. In addition to this, both players are out of contract in the summer, which further increases the need for somebody else to step up.
Even outside of the number nine role, Evans could be an impactful player out wide, too. Some of his best performances whilst out on loan have come from off the wing, as he can play on either side. He’s powerful and willing to duel with full-backs all day, which will make him a nightmare once he’s fully developed. Furthermore, he’s an excellent finisher, with plenty of examples of goals from all situations.
It’s no secret that City’s wide men could be significantly reduced in the summer, especially after John Percy recently reported that Abdul Fatawu is a likely departure.
Therefore, Evans stepping up is all the more likely, as the club’s financial situation makes it tougher to find a suitable replacement. It will be interesting to see how many minutes he can get and whether or not he is more of an option off the bench, like how Monga has featured this season.
The next transfer window will be full of change, so Evans’ versatility will be key over the 46-game league campaign. With this much growth over just a short-term spell in League One, it’s encouraging to think how good he could be in a few years time.
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