BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
LEICESTER Academy coach Steve Beaglehole believes Zimbabwean striker Admiral Muskwe is destined for a successful career at the top level after an impressive start to the season for the English Premier League side’s reserve side.
The 22-year-old forward has scored five goals for Leicester City’s development side in his last six games in all competitions after returning from a short loan stint at English League One side Swindon Town last season.
Muskwe was in the headlines again last week after he scored a brace in Leicester Under-23s’ 3-3 draw with Salford City in the English Football League Trophy on Tuesday night.
His two goals were enough to earn his team a draw and send them to a penalty shootout, which they won 6-5 to advance to the last 16.
Muskwe has also managed to score goals against Chelsea and Tottenham’s development sides in the Premier League 2 competition as he seeks to fulfil the potential he showed as a junior.
The Zimbabwe international was named Leicester City’s Academy Player of the Season for the 2015-16 season, but his career was stalled after spending over a year on the sidelines due to a serious injury, which delayed his progression to the club’s first team.
However, his recent return to form has convinced Leicester City’s senior professional development phase coach Beaglehole that the gifted striker is destined for a successful career.
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“People forget how much game time he’s missed in the last two or three years, but also training time because he had two bad contact injuries,” the City coach said in an interview on the Premier League club’s official website.
“He’s come back from both of those (injuries), where a lot of players’ confidence would have been severely hit, but he’s come back in and you can’t expect a player to start performing straight away.”
Leicester are renowned for their robustness in nurturing young talent having produced fine players like Ben Chilwell and Harvey Barnes, who have since established themselves in the England top-flight.
Muskwe was lured by Leicester City when he was just eight and has, over the years, risen through the ranks to become one of the most lethal strikers in the English Premier League 2.
And, at some point, he was touted as Jamie Vardy’s heir apparent at the East Midlands club although injuries hampered his hopes of making a break into the first team.
Beaglehole is, however, convinced that it is just a matter of time before the Zimbabwean gets his breakthrough “at a high level”.
“I always felt that he would score goals, he’s a great runner with the ball, he had a great partnership with George Hirst last year and he scored more goals in open play.
“He’s a goalscorer and when he’s confident and fully fit, he will score goals and at the moment, that’s what is happening. His attitude has always been tremendous, he loves to score goals, but he’s a team player and he will always pick the right option and play people in, to help out the team.
“That’s what I like about him and I’m delighted for him because he’s a great lad and one I think will play at a high level. Hopefully he has a run of games now and then we’ll see his true potential.”
Muskwe represented the England at Under-17 level before switching allegiance to his country of birth at senior level.
He has since earned four caps with the Warriors since making his senior international debut in a 1-0 defeat to Lesotho in a friendly match three years ago.
Muskwe has, however, so far failed to make the cut into the Zimbabwe team where Tinotenda Kadewere, David Moyo and Prince Dube have been preferred in the number nine position.
