Academy graduate Christian Chigozie credits humility as a key factor in his rise to the Town first team at just 17 years old.
The centre-back – who made his debut this season in the Carabao Cup tie at Coventry in August – believes it is a trait that has served him well as he balances first-team training with turning out for Joe Deeney’s Under-18s.
Talking alongside Deeney as part of a special feature to mark EFL Youth Development Week, Chigozie said: “The biggest thing to take away from everything I’ve experienced so far is to just stay humble and keep a good attitude.
“Sometimes I see a player with not the best attitude in a session, and I see things like that can affect everyone. Having a good attitude and being humble is something the top, top players speak about.
“There’s one thing being arrogant – you shouldn’t be, although there’s a certain arrogance I like, but those who are like that always remain humble.”
The defender, who has been in our academy system since joining as an under-7, has already had a rollercoaster experience since being thrust into the limelight. As a 16 year old, he was pulled out of school to be named on the Hatters bench for the Premier League fixture at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal in March 2024.
Since putting pen to paper on a professional contract in February this year, Chigozie has juggled duties for the first team with playing for the under-18s and under-21s.
However, the way he has conducted himself is not lost on his youth team boss.
“You’ve stayed humble ever so well,” Deeney, himself a former defender who rose through the Town’s academy back in the early 2000s, says to the centre-half.
“It’s not easy to go from playing in front of big crowds and then on the Saturday to play in front of a few parents and a couple of Seagulls away at Exeter for the Under-18s.
“It’s hard, but you have done everything properly – including the way you looked after the team. These are the things I see, and I think it’s really important. My advice to you is keep doing what you’re doing and learn from the experiences.”
And he has plenty of those already.
Arsenal was one. From preparing for his GCSEs one morning to be being named by then-Town boss Rob Edwards on the bench in the top-flight come the evening.
“I was very nervous,” he says. “I was just consumed by the stadium, the pitch, everything, but after the warm-up, I was thinking ‘I have to focus’ but it inspired me.”
But Chigozie’s mind wanders back to one particular, significant moment last season that has lived with him ever since.
He was sent off for an off-the-ball incident during the Under-18s’ League Cup exit at Bromley in March last year.
“This was probably the worst moment for us as a group,” admits Chigozie. “A lot had happened at training before the game and Joe wasn’t happy!
“Then came the game; it was 0-0 at half-time and all I remember Joe saying was ‘keep 11 men on the pitch, nobody get a red card’.”
Deeney continues: “There was a kerfuffle on the far side of the pitch and I remember it because I thought when it happened, I was saying to myself ‘please don’t let it be Chigsy’.
“Then I see him walking off, and of course, it got worse because we lost on penalties. We had a chat on Monday because there were a lot of things wrong.”
It proved to be a huge lesson for Chigozie. Three weeks later, as the Town chased the Youth Alliance title, the Under-18s staged a remarkable comeback, beating – you guessed it – Bromley, thanks to a last-minute winner from Zach Ioannides.
“Paul Benson gave me some advice – just keep my head. But against Bromley the second time, we were 3-2 down in the 90th minute and I was fuming. We scored a penalty to make it 3-3 and then have one last chance, and I go up for a corner. One of our lads has taken an air-swing and the ball’s bobbled to Zach and he’s put it in the bottom corner.
“For me it felt like revenge for the red card. A couple of their lads had been giving me a bit during the game, but let’s just say I let them know who won this game.
“To come back like that showed, as a group, how much we wanted to win and the passion we had in the team.”
It pleased Deeney, too. “It was a great moment,” he says. “It was the start of a run of four or five games where we would be losing into the last minute but still find a way to win.
“And this game was the defining moment of the season for me.”
It certainly was. The Town’s youngsters would go on to overhaul long-time leaders Oxford to secure the Youth Alliance title and then complete the double by lifting the PDL Cup, beating Swansea 3-0 in May.
It crowned a superb season for the Under-18s group, further emphasising the importance of the two-way player-coach relationship at this level.
“It’s really important to have relationships and a connection with your players,” explains Deeney, who made two appearances for the Town first team under Joe Kinnear before returning twice to Kenilworth Road to coach in our academy.
“Lee Carsley gave a talk on a course and one of the things he said was you’re not there to be the players’ friend. However, I think there are times you have to be. At times you have to be like a dad. You have to be like a teammate. You have to wear so many hats. But ultimately, you cannot be friends because inevitably, you’re the one who has to give players difficult news.
“The one thing I’ll say, though, is every now and then there’s a time as a coach you encounter a human that’s different – and I put Christian in that bracket.
“Somebody you look at and would trust with your own family, your own children, in terms of the values they hold and I think that’s the nicest compliment you can give.
“Because of his attitude to get things done, the fact he’s reliable and, even though we think we think he’s a very talented centre-half, we know we have got a really good person on our hands. It’s no coincidence to see how well he’s doing.
“I know he’s only two appearances in but I want him to get 200 – and the only way he’s going to do that is by doing everything he’s done here already and to continue to improve.”
The final word is left to Christian.
“It’s not like a relationship you have with your teammates where you’re joking around,” he says.
“But I know if I have an issue I can talk to Joe. I know that he’s there for me, because his only intention is to make a professional footballer and that’s very good to know.”
