Leicester City opted against signing a new winger during the summer transfer window due to Marti Cifuentes’ confidence in Silko Thomas as his fourth wide option.
When Kasey McAteer was sold to Ipswich in August, Cifuentes lost one of the four wingers he had earmarked for his squad, leaving only Abdul Fatawu, Stephy Mavididi, and Jeremy Monga.
Instead of turning to the transfer market, Cifuentes decided to look within the club and identified Thomas as a player capable of stepping up.
The 21-year-old made his City debut against Charlton and also featured off the bench in the recent trip to Swansea. With Mavididi doubtful for Saturday’s encounter with Portsmouth, Thomas is expected to be included in the matchday squad once again.
He impressed not only with his pre-season displays but also last year during his loan spell in League One.
“I knew Silko from last season on loan at Wigan and I was really impressed about the way he managed until he picked up an injury,” Cifuentes said.
“When we arrived, it was a fresh start for everybody and so it was a good opportunity for him to show.
“When we were in Austria (for pre-season), he did a lot of good things. He gained our appreciation and respect. He’s been improving and improving since I’ve been here, showing a lot of great things in training.
“He’s the kind of winger we like because he runs in behind, he has pace, he is eager to show his energy. Then as well, he’s smart with the ball. He understands when it’s time to go one-v-one and when it’s not.
“That’s why he’s getting those minutes. Hopefully there will be many more. He’s pushing and trying to show he deserves to be here.
“When Kasey left, it was an opportunity to look at the market and try to find a replacement in the market.
“It was a possibility for us. The idea was to have at least four wingers in the squad. With the departure of Kasey, we had to look at the alternatives.
“The first step is to look in house, and the reality was that I was very happy with Silko, so I preferred not to sign anyone else. I’m a big believer that Silko can do a good job for us. I’m sure he will have a lot of minutes this season.”
Although Thomas has recently progressed through City’s Under-21s, he isn’t a homegrown academy graduate.
Two years ago, he arrived from Chelsea’s youth setup and went on to be named City’s Development Squad Player of the Season in his debut campaign.