It’s been a milestone few weeks for Kasey McAteer who, after scoring his first Premier League goal in Leicester City’s final home fixture of the season, now has his maiden international goal.
Making his first start for the Republic of Ireland in Friday’s 1-1 draw with Senegal, McAteer opened the scoring, reacting quickest to a flick-on, with his header first tipped onto the bar before he brought down the rebound, spun, and finished.
It was a reminder of some of the qualities that McAteer has. In his breakthrough City season in the Championship, he showed off his intelligent off-the-ball movement, his knack for finding space in the box, and his composure in front of goal.
After the first two months, before his hamstring injury, he was the club’s top scorer. Enzo Maresca was telling Stephy Mavididi and Abdul Fatawu that they needed to learn from McAteer in how to ghost in at the far post.
But perhaps there’s another way those attributes can be deployed.
With Jamie Vardy leaving and Patson Daka potentially heading for the exit too, City need new strikers. Bringing in a prolific number nine should be their transfer priority.
But if they don’t have to bring in a back-up, and can use the players already in their squad as deputies, that would allow them to focus their attention on other areas of the team.
They have Jordan Ayew who can work as a target man up front, but perhaps it’s time to give McAteer a go there too.
It seems like the sort of experiment that’s worth attempting in pre-season matches. The qualities he has shown up to now – his off-the-ball movement, his alertness, his ability to find space in the box, his cool finishing – all work as a striker. He’s quick too, and is constantly looking to make penetrative runs in behind.
Plus, he’s a malleable player. It’s not as if he’s been a winger his whole way up the ranks. He came through as an attacking midfielder, but has featured in lots of different roles as a senior player, including as a full-back.
He’s only 23, so he’s still learning and adapting and perhaps open-minded enough to make it work as a striker.
Another factor at play is that City have strength in depth out wide. McAteer is unlikely to start on the wing next season if Abdul Fatawu and Stephy Mavididi stay, while there’s Jeremy Monga, Will Alves, Jake Evans, and Bobby De Cordova-Reid support too.
Most of those options are perhaps better in one-on-ones against a full-back than McAteer, but few of them are as good off the ball, nor have the scoring prowess he does.
With Ireland, it seems manager Heimir Hallgrimsson sees McAteer as a winger exclusively for now.
He said: “It was his first start, so it was a really good first start for him. He’s a confident player on the ball. He has speed, good dribbling technique, and if we can isolate him in one-v-one, that is his strength.
“He’s just a clever footballer, he's got a good football brain. He knows where to pass the ball, how to pass the ball.”
But there’s no reason why City can’t at least try an alternative. If the club are in a predicament over finances and it limits their scope for transfer business, they have to be willing to try something new.
When pre-season friendlies roll around in just over a month’s time, it will be worth seeing McAteer lead the line.
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Get your special Jamie Vardy edition of the Leicester Mercury
Jamie Vardy souvenir edition of the Leicester Mercury
It was certainly a fairytale ending to Jamie Vardy's Leicester City career - netting his 200th goal in his final match for the club.
To celebrate, we are launching a this special edition of the Leicester Mercury where we look back at the striker's amazing career - his journey from non-league to England international, his greatest goals and where he stands in the Foxes' list of all-time greats.
We also revisit the trophy-winning campaigns - the 2021 FA Cup and, of course, the 2016 Premier League title.
And there are plenty of tributes from those who played with him, against him and worked with him.
Jamie Vardy, it's certainly been a party!
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