Lelan sparkles for Crawley Town in English League Two
What you need to know:
- He has an English mother and Kenyan father and says that Kenya is his favourite holiday destination.
Harambee Stars coach Stanley Okumbi may soon need to get scouts to have a look at the young defender Josh Lelan who has been in sparkling form for English League Two side Crawley Town.
Crawley manager Kewell told the local Sussex paper, the Evening Argus that Lelan had “accepted the challenge” of being moved from right back.
Former Leeds United player Harry Kewell, an Australian national who played in two World Cups, moved 22-year-old Lelan into central defence for Crawley this season and he has been an ever present in the seven games the Sussex side played this season since then.
HUGE POTENTIAL
“He has still got to learn but he is willing to,” Kewell said. “He is a well-known right back who is excellent (at centre back) as well…We know that he is a defensive player and that he can probably play anywhere in the back line.
“My players have to be able to adjust to the way that I want to play very quickly….As a young centre-half in this day and age you have to be strong and smart because you come up against big strong centre forwards. He has incredible pace and he is comfortable on the ball.”
Lelan, who has also played for Swindon and Northampton Town in the football league, has been called up twice for the Kenyan team appearing for the first time against Uganda in August 2016.
He has an English mother and Kenyan father and says that Kenya is his favourite holiday destination.
Lelan has put his success this season down to his partnership with Josh Yorwerth with whom he says he has a “good partnership."
“If you’ve got a good understanding with each together it gives the rest of the team the confidence to play their own game and go forward as much as possible with us at the back.”
Meanwhile, Kenyan captain Victor Wanyama, who had been expected to be back in the first team for Tottenham’s last two premiership games against Swansea and Everton, is now expected to return early next month due to an injury he sustained in a friendly match against the French side PSG.
