Talk about "you don't know what you've got till it's gone" - Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is that man at Leicester City! Albeit Foxes fans took to the industrious yet dazzling midfielder's skill set early on as an LCFC Academy product, he wasn't quite considered the ultimate fan favourite.
Nevertheless, imagine if Dewsbury-Hall had remained a Fox for the previous couple of seasons. Things on Filbert Way would arguably have been much different, and better; similarly to how Jamie Vardy’s prowess would have saved the King Power club in 2025/26.
Although, it wasn't to be. After not being given an appropriate chance to shine at Chelsea, Everton hit the jackpot with the 27-year-old. Dewsbury-Hall has been mightily influential, as well as impressive, so much so that he should definitely be involved with England. While he believes injury has blighted that particular Three Lions front, his trajectory remains undeniable.
The day Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall announced himself at Leicester City
Back in the day, though, "KDH" had to make his name at Belvoir Drive, just before the Seagrave days. He found himself competing with the G.O.A.T. himself. And Vardy didn't even know who this 'kid' was.
"On the first day of pre-season, I was with the first team and we did the Yo-Yo test and I remember I came first."Dewsbury-Hall - via The Sun
It was during the visceral, lung-bursting crucible of a preseason fitness test that the powerhouse footballing hierarchy was famously upended. The anonymous academy hopeful didn't just compete: he conquered, leaving the legendary striker in his wake to claim the top spot in the yo-yo (like the bleep) test.
"Everyone looked at me like, ‘Who is this kid?’
“It’s like the bleep test, you run to your maximum and see who is the fittest."
The Herculean feat of endurance served as KDH's formal introduction to the LE2 elite. Now, as he orchestrates the Toffees midfield with a sophisticated blend of tenacity and vision, he is quite literally banging on the World Cup door.
"It was me and Vards at the end and people came up and almost asked, ‘Who are you? What have you been doing?’
“I was like, ‘Just been working hard.’
“It was that moment where I thought I had a chance because I’d beaten them in the fitness test and I knew I am technically a good footballer."
The industriousness that once baffled Vardy has evolved into a high-end mastery of the pitch. Which makes Dewsbury-Hall's potential absence from the international stage a mounting travesty for the Three Lions.
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