Former Luton loanee Dewsbury-Hall selected in UEFA Europa Conference League Team of the Season

Former Luton loanee Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has completed a terrific breakthrough year at Leicester City by being named in the 2021/22 UEFA Europa Conference League Team of the Season.

The side, selected by UEFA's Technical Observer panel, saw the 23-year-old chosen in a midfield along with Dimitiri Payet (Marseille), Luis Sinisterra (Feyenoord) and Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma).

He played 12 times in the competition, scoring twice, as the Foxes reached the semi-final, beaten 2-1 on aggregate by eventual winners Roma.

It was the culmination of a brilliant campaign for Dewsbury-Hall, who spent the previous term at Kenilworth Road, making 41 appearances and scoring three goals, winning the Ian Pearce Memorial Trophy, Junior Supporters Player of the Season, Internet Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season.

Returning to the King Power Stadium, he came on in the Community Shield victory over Manchester City back in August, going on to make 44 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals too, including his maiden top flight strike.

It was enough for him to be named Young Player of the Season and Players Player of the Season at City’s end of season awards night too, as speaking to LCFC TV about his double honour, he said: "This award is a special one to me because it’s your work colleagues.

"I’m happy. I was scared at the start of the season that it’d be tough to integrate with the lads because it is a very good dressing room. There’s a lot of very, very good players.

"It does mean a lot that they’ve took to me.

"I’ve made some really good friendships. I’ve got friends for life in this team and that just shows it’s a family club. I’m hoping that continues. It feels amazing, I can’t lie. For me, that’s the best award.

"You’re with your team-mates every day for months upon end, you’re with some of them more than your family, so you learn a lot of about them.

"For them to recognise what I’ve done this season, it really does mean a lot. I’m really thankful for that. They’ve been so good to me since the start of the season.

"They’ve brought me in, they’ve integrated me well, and I feel part of the team, so I’m really honoured.”

After getting his first start in the Premier League during the 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa in December, Dewsbury-Hall didn’t look back, beginning 23 of the club’s next 24 top flight games.

The midfielder had backed himself last year to be a hit if given the chance, and on how his season went, he added: “It's a bit surreal to be honest.

"My team-mates saw how hard I was working, even up until December.

"I was working as hard as I could, hoping and knowing that the opportunity would come.

"They might have seen that in me, that I wasn’t letting it affect me, I wasn’t sulking.

"I was really trying to be in the best shape I could be for the time when it.

"When it did come, I did well, so it’s fantastic.

"I know this is one of the most ruthless games in the world. I knew when I got that chance that I needed to be really on it, or I’d lose it. That’s the same in every game.

"I go into every game knowing you’re one game away from losing your spot.

"You need to do as much as you can and play as well as you can to keep that, not only for yourself, but for the team.

"That’s always the mentality I’ll have. Hopefully that’ll keep progressing me onto bigger and better things."