[Albionic]

https://www.footballinsider247.com/leicester-city-submit-bid-for-striker-let-go-by-west-brom/

Leicester have submitted a bid for Alvechurch striker Jacob Wakeling after he impressed during a trial following his West Brom release.

The 19-year-old was let go by the west Midlands outfit when his contract expired at the end of June.

He joined non-league outfit Alvechurch on a free transfer and made such a goalscoring impact he was invited for a trial at high-flying Leicester.



A Leicester source has told Football Insider that Wakeling has shone to such an extent during his stint that the club have offered him a contract.

They have also tabled an offer to seventh-tier Alvechurch for his services as the teenager looks to follow in the footsteps of Alan Smith.

The former England and Arsenal striker netted 84 times after being plucked from the Worcestershire side.

Leicester hero Jamie Vardy, destined to go down in the history books as the club’s greatest-ever player, has made a staggering impact after his arrival from Fleetwood Town in 2012 for a non-league record £1.7m.

Wakeling scored twice for the Foxes Under-23s as they thumped 10-man Brighton 4-0.

The forward scored the first two goals as City ran riot on the south coast, ending their four-game Premier League 2 losing streak.

This was his second appearance for Leicester’s development squad.

He was given the green light to join on on trial after netting seven goals in eight games for Alvechurch this term, including a hat-trick against Leicestershire side Barwell

[BalisPen]

Never heard of him in all honesty, but I have a west brom season ticket holder mate who has bought season tickets at Alvechurch and Redditch (because of Sneekes) and I can ask him what he thinks of him.

However, it is always a risk when you release a youth player that they will come back to haunt you as you cannot keep every single one in the academy hoping that one day they will make it.

[Hunnington Baggie]

Never heard of him in all honesty, but I have a west brom season ticket holder mate who has bought season tickets at Alvechurch and Redditch (because of Sneekes) and I can ask him what he thinks of him.

However, it is always a risk when you release a youth player that they will come back to haunt you as you cannot keep every single one in the academy hoping that one day they will make it.

going by the timing of when he left it looks like he was replaced by Owen Windsor, who at about the same age is 3/4 tiers up in league two. Obviously anything could happen but we may have made the correct call if Owen stays on his trajectory. Then add Wakeling would be behind Soule and Morton too not even thinking of any u’18 strikers like Jovan Malcolm and it looks like there just wasn’t the space.

[SmethDan]

No idea what he was like during match play situations but here's his record whilst with us, according to transfermarkt any how......

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/jacob-wakeling/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/552615

[johnny Cash]

His record with us according to that link was nothing special, but 6 months at that age can make a big difference. People think of puberty and growth as being 13-15 and it’s not necessarily.

I was still 5’6 / 5’7 at 16/17 but by 19 I was 6”foot but hadn't really ‘filled out’ until 20/21. I wasn’t any fatter but I was certainly bigger. Yet at 16 you could have easily assumed I was done growing.  If that happens it’s easy to see how a kid could be struggling then suddenly compete with men seemingly overnight.

Good luck to the kid. You can’t really blame the club either though, just one of those things.

[hardtobeat]

Surely the telling thing is he signed for Alvechurch( no disrespect) if there had been any hint of us having made a serious error he would have been snapped up by a club higher up the ladder

[AlbionFan]

Leicester no doubt trying to repeat what they achieved when buying Alan Smith from Alvechurch all those years ago and he didn’t turn out to be too bad, except for his vile allegiances 

[SmethDan]

His record with us according to that link was nothing special, but 6 months at that age can make a big difference. People think of puberty and growth as being 13-15 and it’s not necessarily........

A very valid point re puberty, post puberty and growth spurts. But given how we hung onto Sam Field under similar circumstance, ie he was a late developer (who also had a back problem), leaves me wondering what he showed both in games and general day to day training for the club to release him. For the record I have no idea, but his leaving may have served as a nudge in what may turn out to be the right direction for him. Not great for us perhaps but decisions need to be made. And let's not forget what was in and around him age group wise at the time.

[BalisPen]

The Alvechurch St holder friend I mentioned said he is fast and a great goalscorer, with a good first touch.

I hope he doesn't make it big because I then have to listen to how he has joined Alan Smith to have come from Alvechurch as well smith and hylton who were at Redditch before moving on up.

Joking aside though I hope we haven't missed out on the next Vardy.