Russell Martin will hand Leicester City debuts to three 'new signings'

Russell Martin arrives at Leicester City with a bloated first-team squad that needs major surgery after two relegations. The Foxes will play in League One next season two years after being in the Premier League.

Martin's appointment was confirmed on Monday evening with the former Southampton and Rangers boss signing a three-year contract at the King Power Stadium. All eyes will be on how successful the 40-year-old will be in implementing his ideas on the training ground throughout pre-season before the new season.

Plenty has been made about the work needed on the squad this summer with only a small handful of players not facing speculation around their future. Martin is expected to bring his own players to the club throughout the window to give him the tools required to be a success.

However, Martin and Leicester find themselves in a luxury position of having a goldmine of academy players. The club's youth system is still of Category One standard and only Reading can say the same thing in the current crop of League One clubs.

At Southampton, the former Scotland international earned a track record of giving debuts to academy players. Exciting English winger Jay Robinson, Strasbourg forward Samuel Amo-Ameyaw, Tyler Dibling, Cameron Bragg and Romeo Akachukwu were all part of Martin's plans at St. Mary's - although Amo-Ameyaw was often behind Ryan Fraser and Ben Brereton Diaz.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Harvey Barnes, Kasey McAteer and Luke Thomas are all prime examples of players graduating from the academy at Leicester and becoming first-team stars. In recent years, Jeremy Monga, Louis Page, Ben Nelson, Bade Aluko and Will Alves have all made their professional debuts.

This season, with the club in League One and in desperate need of a reset, Martin has the opportunity to release more wonderkids into the first-team with several players waiting for their chance. Lorenz Hutchinson, who started alongside Monga and Page in the 2024 Under-16 Premier League Cup triumph, is yet to make his senior debut despite his impressive statistics with the academy.

For City's Under-18s, the striker scored 15 goals in 15 Premier League U18 games. He also adjusted to life in Premier League 2 with four goals and two assists - including a run of five goal contributions in six games. His form earned his recognition within the club, earning the Academy Player of the Season award.

The Foxes are currently lacking a striker after Patson Daka and Jordan Ayew departed. Jake Evans, who will return from his loan spell with Northampton Town, will be tested in pre-season but Hutchinson is one player Martin will have a close eye on.

In midfield, Logan Briggs is still yet to taste first-team action despite being one of the most-exciting and consistent performers for the academy recently. Under Enzo Maresca, he was named on the bench in the FA Cup win over Bournemouth.

Last term, he scored six and assisted a further eight in Premier League 2 to earn himself a nomination for Player of the Season. There have been some comparisons to Dewsbury-Hall by those that have watched him closely, with Briggs capable of playing as a No.8 and No.6.

One player who will almost certainly fancy their chances of making their debut for the Foxes is right wing-back Jayden Joseph. The 20-year-old impressed during his loan spell at Tranmere Rovers and played a crucial role in keeping them in the Football League.

Injuries stopped him from playing a full season but his return proved to be vital. Ricardo Pereira's exit means there will be a new regular right-back for City next season and Joseph offers the competition needed for Aluko.

The promotion of academy players is an easy win for Martin with fans. It’s something that damaged Gary Rowett’s reputation at the end of the last season and hurt Marti Cifuentes, who suggested he was keen on using youth players before going against his words.

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