Leicester City centre-back Ben Nelson has shot onto the scene this term and demonstrated his talent as a ball-playing defender – but Enzo Maresca has now revealed where he can improve.
Ben Nelson is the latest in a long line of academy graduates at Leicester who have risen to first-team stardom this season.
As well as Hamza Choudhury and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who is arguably the Foxes’ biggest asset, Wanya Marcal and Kasey McAteer have also featured under Enzo Maresca.
The Italian has shown his eye for the future by playing Nelson in both FA Cup victories over Millwall and Birmingham while also giving him 56 minutes of action in the second tier.
The youngster has been slowly introduced into the senior setup and having impressed, he could be rewarded his first Championship start in Saturday’s match against Watford.
Jannik Vestergaard, who has been the cornerstone of Enzo Maresca’s defence and key to how to play, could be unavailable for that match, potentially opening the door for Nelson.
The Italian has waxed lyrical about the youngster’s talent and claims his attributes are a perfect match for his style of play, although he has outlined where he needs to improve.
Enzo Maresca reveals where Ben Nelson needs to improve
Speaking to the Athletic, Maresca said: “He’s quick. He can play right or left — it’s perfect.
“The only thing that he needs to improve and understand more is that he is a bit shy on the ball. Against Birmingham, he could play forward many times. We showed him after the game, the day after, many clips of when he can play forward, but he’s young and sometimes, they prefer to play it easy and safe.”
For someone who doesn’t turn 20 till March, those are just minor chinks in Nelson’s armoury and he is on the road to becoming a top defender, as long as he remains level-headed.
It isn’t easy getting thrown into the first team picture at such a young age, but the teenager has risen to the occasion and shown how comfortable he is in the environment.
The fact he’s in with a shot of starting over the likes of Conor Coady and Harry Souttar is just a testament to how much he’s impressed the Leicester manager.
Of course, Nelson has a long way to go before he establishes himself as a regular starter, but given Vestergaard turns 32 this year, the England U19 star could be a long-term heir to the Dane.