England-born Zimbabwean teen star Tawanda Maswanhise will be eager to catch the eye of Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers after being called up to train with the Premier League club’s first-team squad at the start of their pre-season camp last week.
With half of the Foxes’ first-team players still on holiday after representing their countries, Maswanhise is among a number of young players who have been called up to bolster Rodgers’ training group in Seagrave, Leicestershire.
The electric 19-year-old winger is having his second pre-season training camp with the Leicester first team.
He was involved in pre-season last term and impressed enough to get a spot in the side for the first two games against Burton and Wycombe.
Despite being the youngest player in the side for both of those games, his fearlessness and speed on the ball made him the standout player.
Maswanhise then spent the season with the development squad, usually playing as a striker, and grabbed a creditable 10 goals in 26 Premier League 2 games to finish as the club’s top scorer.
The young star, who can play as a winger or as a striker is at a crucial phase in his development as he looks to make a breakthrough to senior football after rising from Leicester City’s development ranks.
He was among the 15 Leicester City Academy graduates who were awarded new contracts in February.
Maswanhise initially signed his first professional contract with the Foxes in June 2021 and his rapid rise within the club’s academy ranks has convinced the club to offer him new terms.
Born in England to Zimbabwean parents, Tawanda is the son of ex-sprinter, Jeffrey Maswanhise, who represented Zimbabwe at the All-Africa Games and the Commonwealth Games, between 1998 and 2002.
Maswanhise has expressed his interest to represent Zimbabwe in international football in the future.
Tawanda Maswanhise's stunning strike secured a point in the #lcfcu23s' last #PL2 outing 💥 pic.twitter.com/cYsNMPOOO0
— Leicester City (@LCFC) September 13, 2021