Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall held talks with the Leicester City manager before his move.
Steve Cooper was always going to be fighting an uphill battle to keep Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall at Leicester City following his brilliant 2023/24 Championship campaign.
The English midfielder has moved on to sign for Premier League rivals Chelsea, where he will once again play under Enzo Maresca, who was instrumental in Dewsbury-Hall’s scintillating form last season, where they won the Championship.
Cooper has been proactive in replacing the man who tallied a staggering 26 goal contributions from centre-midfield, with Coventry midfielder Callum O’Hare linked with a move to the King Power Stadium.
Prior to his move, Cooper held talks with the Englishman at the club’s training ground, leaving a mark on Dewsbury-Hall before he left.
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Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall ‘impressed’ with Steve Cooper before Leicester City exit
Prior to his move to Maresca’s Chelsea, Dewsbury-Hall reportedly held talks with the Welsh manager, where the midfielder was ‘impressed with his energy’, per The Telegraph.
Dewsbury-Hall also recognised Cooper’s ‘desire to do well’ in the meeting that they had, giving Leicester City fans hope that they have brought in an ambitious manager to replace Maresca ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign.
Cooper also reportedly spoke to many other senior players about his ‘ideas and philosophy’ in the early days of his tenure.
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Why Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s words on Steve Cooper should give Leicester City fans hope
Despite off-the-field financial restraints, Cooper made it very clear that he was in favour of keeping hold of Dewsbury-Hall for the upcoming season.
However, the fact that the former Nottingham Forest boss was able to impress the midfielder after just one meeting shows that he will likely be able to get the rest of the dressing room on board with his philosophy, especially after positive talks with seniors at the club.
Transfer ongoings have also been positive under the circumstances, with Atalanta defender Caleb Okoli set to join up with Leicester City, as well as the signing of Premier League experience in Bobby De Cordova-Reid.
Cooper has certainly shown a ‘desire to do well’ from the off, and it seems that this has positively affected signings starting to come through the door.
There’s no reason why this positive start from Cooper can not materialise into positive results once the new campaign starts. The Welshman certainly deserves praise for how he has handled the opening stages of his reign.