The 15-year-old became the second-youngest player in Premier League history this past season, putting some of Europe's big hitters on notice
England's prolific conveyor belt of attacking talent is showing no signs of slowing down production, with Leicester City prodigy Jeremy Monga the latest youngster primed to shine on the biggest stage – either on home soil or abroad. Just , the winger has seemingly nailed down a place in the Foxes' first-team squad, and now the sky is the limit.
A fearless, mesmeric and technical dribbler with the end product to match, Monga's exploits across his budding career to date belie his young years – and some of Europe's big hitters are already sitting up and taking notice as his contract ticks down, including Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid.
Leicester have a fight on their hands to keep hold of one of the gems of their academy, but it's one they might just win in the short-term. Here's everything you need to know about England's latest wonderkid…
GettyWhere it all began
Still only 15 years old, suffice to say Monga's rise has been rapid. Born in Coventry in July 2009, he began his football journey at his hometown club before being poached by local rivals Leicester City aged just eight.
Clearly earmarked for his elite potential from a very young age, at 14 Monga was already getting minutes with the Foxes' Under-18s in the 2023-24 season and was part of the team that triumphed in the U16 Premier League Cup at Man City's expense.
Running his peers ragged, a fast start to 2024-25 – including four goal involvements in three games – propelled the teenager into the U21s and subsequently consideration for the first team. His strike against Aston Villa's development squad in early November 2024 saw him become the youngest goal-scorer in the history of the Premier League 2.
AdvertisementAFPThe big break
Ruud van Nistelrooy's appointment later the same month set Monga on course for a first-team debut. "The first thing I did [when I arrived] here was look at the Under-21s, at the Under-18s, getting them into first-team training and seeing them," the Dutchman said previously. "When players are good enough the age doesn't matter to me, and they can help the team."
Although the teenager had only been able to train once or twice a week as he continued to attend school in preparation for his GCSEs, he was included in Leicester's squad for the FA Cup fourth-round defeat to Manchester United in February before being handed his Premier League debut two months later – emerging off the bench against Newcastle aged 15 years and 271 days to become the second-youngest player in the competition's history after Arsenal's Ethan Nwaneri.
Such is his youth, he wasn't even allowed to wear the club's gambling sponsor on his shirt per league rules. Despite his side already being 3-0 down, Monga was greeted by a huge roar – a reflection of the excitement his emergence at the East Midlands club has generated.
"Today, we felt it was the moment to bring him on, to let him have his debut," Van Nistelrooy said afterwards. "You could see glimpses of his great qualities. He's a great winger and has speed. He's a fantastic talent, a great boy."
Reflecting on that moment in a club interview, Monga said: "It was crazy. It was a crazy experience. At first, obviously I was nervous and then when I got onto the pitch all the nerves went away. I just had to switch on. I feel like I done alright, could have done better. Obviously, always room for improvement."
Getty Images SportHow it's going
True to his word, Van Nistelrooy continued to afford the young winger minutes in the remainder of the season, with Monga's thrilling cameos a thin silver lining after Leicester's relegation was confirmed by a defeat to Liverpool later in April.
The 15-year-old featured in each of the Foxes' final six games of their doomed Premier League campaign, suggesting he will be a firm part of the first-team picture going forward despite the uncertainty surrounding the current head coach's future, after the former Manchester United striker failed to arrest a long slide towards the Championship trapdoor.
Monga almost bagged a dream first senior goal in the form of a late winner in the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest in May, but his curling long-range strike was just about palmed away by Matz Sels.
With the season now over, though, Monga's mind will now be on the classroom rather than the football pitch as he attempts to focus on his GCSEs against he backdrop of his career really taking off. At international level, the teen is actually still playing in his age grade, but with seven goal contributions in nine games since his England U16 debut in August, it feels like a matter of time before he is bumped up.
Getty Images SportBiggest strengths
Monga's most significant attribute is undoubtedly his dribbling ability. The winger combines lightning-quick feet and intelligent decision-making with upper-body strength that belies his tender age to leave defenders in his wake.
At just 15, YouTube is already littered with clips of the precocious youngster breezing past his marker and turning full-backs inside-out with footwork and body feints. Monga is also two-footed, meaning he's versatile enough to play on either flank or as a No.10 behind the striker if required.
But he isn't just an elite ball-carrier – he boasts end product, too. The teenager has already demonstrated in his budding career that he can produce in the final third, ending 2024-25 with 10 goal involvements in 28 appearances at club level, not counting the seven he racked up for his country.
Beyond that, he is clearly grounded. After his Premier League bow, his deputy head teacher at Ratcliffe College in Leicester, James Rainer, said: "Jeremy’s debut is an incredibly proud moment for all of us at Ratcliffe. Jeremy’s humility makes this achievement all the more deserved."