McAteer has to be given chance to show what he can do, leading the line for City

IS GOALSCORER FOXES CRAVE POTENTIALLY ALREADY AT CLUB?

- By JORDAN BLACKWELL

IT’S been a milestone few weeks for Kasey McAteer who, after scoring his first Premier League goal in Leicester City’s final home fixture of the season, now has his maiden international goal.

Making his first start for the Republic of Ireland in Friday's 1-1 draw with Senegal, McAteer opened the scoring, reacting quickest to a flick-on, with his header first tipped onto the bar before he brought down the rebound, spun and finished.

It was a reminder of some of the qualities that McAteer has.

In his breakthrough City season in the Championship, he showed off his intelligent off-the-ball movement, his knack for finding space in the box and his composure in front of goal. Indeed, after the first two months, before his hamstring injury, he was the club’s top scorer.

Enzo Maresca was telling Stephy Mavididi and Abdul Fatawu that they needed to learn from McAteer about how to ghost in at the far post.

But perhaps there is another way those attributes can be deployed.