Danny Loader in action for Reading (Getty Images)
According to The Reading Chronicle, Premier League duo Leicester City and Brighton and Hove Albion have been credited with an interest in Reading’s emerging star Danny Loader, with recently-relegated outfit Cardiff City also very much in the race to sign the highly-rated teenager.
However, The Reading Chronicle claims that the Royals have rejected bids from the aforementioned clubs, although the Berkshire-outfit might be tempted to sell one of their prized assets should a good enough offer be put on the table.
The 18-year-old enjoyed his first-team breakthrough at the Madejski Stadium in the Championship last season and accumulated a goal and an assist in 21 outings for the Royals. Reading finished 20th in the second-tier and barely managed to beat the drop but Loader’s promising displays gave the fans something to cheer about.
Born in Reading, Loader started his career at Wycombe Wanderers before joining Reading at the U-13 level back in 2012. Highly-rated at the youth level, the striker’s rapid progress through the ranks saw him promoted to the U-23 side as early as in 2016 and he made his senior professional debut for Reading in a 3-1 EFL Cup victory over Millwall in August 2017, aged just 16.
A regular for England at all youth levels from U-16 to U-20, Loader has accumulated a total of 42 caps for his nation till date, and he certainly looks good for many more in the days to come. A part of the England U-17 side that won the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India, Loader scored twice in that tournament and also represented England U-20 at the 2019 Toulon Tournament.
Regarded as one of the brightest emerging prospects of English football, the 18-year-old has been making waves in the Championship in recent times. Phil Foden and Morgan Gibbs-White, Loader’s teammates from the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, have already carved out a reputation for themselves in the Premier League at Man City and Wolves respectively, and the 18-year-old certainly deserves a chance to emulate their success.
Predominantly a right-footed attacker, Loader has the versatility to lead the line as a centre-forward, play out wide on either flank as a winger and also support the central striker in a No.10 central attacking role.
A fast, agile and powerful attacker noted for his pace, dribbling ability and acceleration, the 18-year-old’s directness to run at defenders coupled with his good eye for key passes and through balls in the final third make him a potent threat up front.
To add to that, he is also adept at holding on to the ball with his back to goal, whilst his distance-shooting prowess make him a more complete player.
To put things into perspective, Danny Loader is by no means the finished article but he looks like a real talent and Leicester City should definitely make a renewed attempt to sign him this summer. Agreed, the 18-year-old is not ready to play a significant role for the Foxes in the Premier League next season but his vast potential should prompt Leicester to push harder for his signature.
In recent years, Leicester City have focussed on building a strong core of young and talented players in their first-team. While the likes of James Maddison and Demarai Gray have arrived from the Championship, others like Harvey Barnes and Ben Chilwell have come through the club’s youth system.
Wilfred Ndidi, who was brought in from Belgium a couple of years ago, has evolved into one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League at the age of 22.
Suffice to say, the Foxes have an exciting pool of young talents in their ranks and each of the aforementioned players have the potential to develop into international stalwarts in the future.
Keeping that in mind, Danny Loader, who is also an incredibly talented individual, would be yet another fantastic addition to Leicester’s rich reserve of promising youngsters.
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Loader would probably go into the U-23 side should the Foxes go back in the market for the 18-year-old but one would expect him to carve out a reputation for himself at the highest level in due course of time. Nevertheless, Leicester should look at the striker as one for the future.