Abdul Fatawu's thrilling displays are making Leicester fans fall back in love with their club and Gary Lineker is his biggest fan, writes TOM COLLOMOSSE
- Fatawu is only 20 but has lived and worked in Ghana, Portugal and England
- Sporting Lisbon beat Liverpool to the talent in 2022 but he struggled in Portugal
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When supporters fall out of love with the players who represent their club, reviving that feeling is no easy task.
Even though they were promoted back to the Premier League last season, Leicester fans have not felt quite the same about their team since a squad of multi-millionaire internationals was somehow relegated from the top flight two years ago.
Even if the old passion will take a while to rekindle, Abdul Fatawu's thrilling display at Southampton last weekend means they are at least back on speaking terms. If he can do it once more against boss Steve Cooper's former club Nottingham Forest tonight, the flame will burn brightly again.
Fatawu is only 20 but he has already lived and worked in three countries — Ghana, Portugal and England. He grew up in Tamale, northern Ghana, and would spend hours playing football with older brother, Safiu, while also helping his mother, Hajia Maria, sell produce at the market.
Fatawu was so talented as a teenager that schools in Tamale held talks with his father, Idrissu Issahaku, and offered his son free education in the hope he would join their teams. By the age of 15 he had signed for Steadfast FC in Ghana's second tier and it was not long before European scouts were taking notice.
Even if the old passion will take a while to rekindle, Abdul Fatawu's thrilling display at Southampton last weekend means they are at least back on speaking terms
Leicester fans have not felt quite the same about their team since a squad of multi-millionaire internationals was somehow relegated from the top flight two years ago
Fatawu is only 20 but he has already lived and worked in three countries — Ghana, Portugal and England
Liverpool, Bayer Leverkusen and Sporting Lisbon were all watching closely. Sporting won the race in 2022 and paid less than £1million for the then 18-year-old but Fatawu struggled in Portugal.
The jump in standard was too much, too soon. Only 12 senior appearances later, Fatawu was on his way to Leicester — but his performance last weekend proved why there are still such high hopes for him.
Deployed as a full back but given licence to attack, Fatawu tore Saints apart. He created the opening two goals and hit the bar, causing havoc from the moment he set foot on the St Mary's turf as Leicester fought back from two goals down to win 3-2.
In the first half, Fatawu had turned to Conor Coady on the bench and insisted he would change the game if given the chance. He proved as good as his word. Leicester's most famous fan has long been smitten. Gary Lineker's heart sinks whenever Fatawu is left out of the starting XI.
Fatawu has started all but three of Leicester's league games this season on the bench. So why can't Cooper see what everyone else can?
The story is not quite so simple. As impressive as Fatawu was at Southampton, he has struggled at times this campaign. Cooper and his coaches have regular individual meetings with Fatawu, showing him clips of previous games and offering guidance on how to improve.
In the Championship, Fatawu finished with six goals and 13 assists, his speed and footwork often too much for second-tier full backs. Premier League defenders are more savvy, though, and Fatawu is being encouraged to vary his approach.
Rather than always trying to cut inside on his favoured left foot and shooting, why not seek to beat his full back on the outside, or work quick one-twos with the attacking midfielders?
He grew up in Tamale, northern Ghana, and would spend hours playing football with older brother, Safiu, while also helping his mother, Hajia Maria, sell produce at the market
Sporting won the race for him in 2022 and paid less than £1million for the then 18-year-old but Fatawu struggled in Portuga
In the first half, Fatawu had turned to Conor Coady on the bench and insisted he would change the game if given the chance
Gary Lineker's heart sinks whenever Fatawu is left out of the starting XI
Sure enough, Leicester's opening goal at St Mary's came from Fatawu's charge to the byline and cut-back to the near post. Then, with defenders a little less sure of how to handle him, Fatawu drifted inside and hit the bar from 20 yards.
Even though his side have collected nine points this season — and the other promoted sides, Ipswich and Southampton, are still winless — Cooper is struggling to convince sections of the Leicester fanbase. Victory over Forest tonight would certainly help, but Cooper's track record with young players stands up to scrutiny.
Cooper led an England Under 17 side containing Phil Foden, Morgan Gibbs-White and Marc Guehi to World Cup glory in 2017 but the more relevant example is his work with Brennan Johnson.
When Cooper arrived at Forest early in the 2021-22 campaign, Johnson was a promising academy product who had struggled to make an impact in the first team. Less than two years later, Forest sold him to Tottenham for £50m.
All clubs outside the elite need to turn a profit on players, and if Leicester and Fatawu play their cards right, he will eventually have his move to a top club — for a fee far greater than the £14m the Foxes paid to sign him permanently from Sporting.
Happily for Cooper, Fatawu is a willing pupil and a popular member of the squad. When Leicester organised for a local band to serenade Fatawu with his chant, to the tune of Abba's Voulez-Vous, the Ghanaian loved it.
Even though he is still only 20, Fatawu — a devout Muslim — is the life and soul of the Leicester squad. With the possible exception of Jamie Vardy, Fatawu is the star of the club's social media posts and generates engagement whenever he is involved.
What he is not, however, is a guaranteed starter. Cooper prefers to play three attackers behind a lone forward, with one genuine winger and two No 10s. That means he is reluctant to use Fatawu and Stephy Mavididi in the same XI and, for most of the campaign, Mavididi has been given the nod.
When Fatawu was given a start in the Carabao Cup clash with League Two Walsall, he struggled to make an impression.
Cooper, meanwhile, did a passable impression of Geoffrey Boycott when pressed on his successful — but turbulent — two-year spell at Forest.
Fatawu has started all but three of Leicester's league games this season on the bench. So why can't Steve Cooper see what everyone else can?
Cooper led an England U17 side containing Phil Foden, Morgan Gibbs-White and Marc Guehi to World Cup glory in 2017 but the more relevant example is his work with Brennan Johnson
With the possible exception of Jamie Vardy, Fatawu is the star of the club's social media posts
The Welshman had no wish to reflect on his complicated relationship with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis and insisted he was approaching this match like any other.
Don't believe a word of it. Enough water has flowed under the bridge to ensure this cannot be 'just another game'. Cooper will be desperate to win it.
Leicester fans would love to see Fatawu help him do so.
