Cardiff City “took a punt” on Leicester City starlet Will Alves when many clubs would not have done so, and it already looks like paying off.
The Bluebirds handed Alves a debut off the bench in their FA Cup penalty shoot-out victory over Stoke on Saturday. Around 40 minutes on the pitch was all it took for Cardiff supporters to get excited over the 19-year-old.
Alves was introduced to the right wing but switched to the left and impressed with his dribbling, directness, and threat in the final third. He beat a couple of men and got a couple of shots away on what was only the sixth senior appearance of his career.
Journalist Paul Abbandonato wrote: “I've got to say my first impression of Alves is that he's exactly what Cardiff have been crying out for. Fast, direct, skilful, ready to race to the byline.”
The teenager could now be a contender to start when Cardiff travel to fellow relegation battlers Portsmouth on Tuesday night. But he nearly didn’t get a chance to showcase himself in the division, Cardiff boss Omer Riza has suggested.
Because of Alves’ ACL injury, and because he’s been between City’s first team and Under-21s this season, he’s not played a lot of football over the past two years. But having coached him in England’s youth set-up, Riza has faith in Alves to deliver, even with his lack of recent game-time.
“We need players who have frightening pace that can scare the opposition,” Riza said prior to the game. “Will can do that. He needs to be weaned in, he’s not played a lot of senior football and maybe not a lot of managers would have taken a punt on someone with his profile at the moment.
“But I’ve worked with him and know what he’s got and the character he is. It’s nice to give people the opportunity and hope they will repay you with energy, intensity and respect. I’m sure he will do that and be very impactful, he is a very exciting young player who fans will really like.”
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