If Tom Cannon can become even half of the player Jamie Vardy is, Leicester City will have a top-tier striker on their hands, according to Enzo Maresca.
Cannon began the new year with a bang, scoring twice on his full debut to help the club defeat Huddersfield 4-1 at the King Power Stadium. Maresca’s side surged 10 points clear at the top of the Championship table with the win.
Cannon had to wait four months after joining City from Everton due to a back injury and the form of City’s other strikers, but he showed exciting qualities in his two goals, hitting the first cleanly from 18 yards and then showing strength and composure to run through and score his second. He’s only 21 years old, so he has a lot to learn, especially from an excellent striker like Vardy.
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“I think if you ask any striker in the world, they are going to tell you they want to learn something from Jamie,” Maresca was quoted as saying. “It’s natural for our attacker Tom to pick up tips from Jamie. Hopefully, he will learn a lot. I’d be satisfied with half of Jamie!
“I’m overjoyed for Tom. He was injured and had been out for two or three months when he joined us. It was not an easy task. We started winning games with Jamie, then Kele (Iheanacho), and finally Pat (Daka). Now I’m with him. We are thrilled for Tom and all of our strikers.
“When you don’t play games and the manager gives you the opportunity, everyone expects big things, but it’s the most difficult thing.” I told Tom the same thing when Pat finally played after a long period.
“I told him, ‘Don’t think it’s your first game and you need to prove to people or me that you’re good.'” We think you’re good enough if you’re here. You are not required to demonstrate anything. Just have fun.’ It is not simple.”
While Maresca advised Cannon to have fun, he did so knowing that the striker could score goals at this level after impressing on loan at Preston last season in his first senior tenure. But that didn’t imply he’d start as soon as he arrived at the King Power Stadium.
“I saw all of Tom’s games from January to May when he was at Preston,” Maresca continued. It is my responsibility to determine whether or not a player is suitable for the club. I knew Tom was a terrific player since he scored eight goals in the Championship last year from January to May.
“However, joining a team that features strikers like Jamie Vardy, Kelechi, and Pats means that even if he was healthy, he wouldn’t play right away because he joined a team with these players.”
