Issa Kabore, a wingback for Manchester City on loan, is playing in his first season of Premier League football. Town manager Rob Edwards has been happy with Kabore’s efforts, but he hopes the Burkina Faso international can now improve his consistency.
The 22-year-old recently saw action as a substitute for Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur after starting six of his team’s first seven Premier League games.
Kabore did not start the match against Spurs, but on Saturday at the City Ground, he was brought on as a second-half substitute and helped the visitors rally from a 2-0 deficit to secure a point with a 2-2 draw.
The defender has been at the Etihad since July 2020, when he paid £4 million to move from Belgian team Mechelen. This season marks his first experience playing in the English premier league.
But Kabore has played in nearly 100 league games for Mechelen, followed by French Ligue 1 teams Troyes and Marseille. He also won over 30 caps for his nation and played in the Champions League for Marseille last season.
Given that Reece Burke will now miss Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa, Edwards is likely to stick with the defence that ended the match in the east Midlands, where Kabore is a member of a back four alongside Teden Mengi, Alfie Doughty, and Tom Lockyer.
Asked about the defender’s influence with the Hatters, the Luton manager said: “I think he’s been great, I thought his impact on the weekend was very good against Forest as all the subs were, really positive.
“He’s got tonnes of fantastic attributes and all we want is probably a little bit more consistency in his performances now.
However, he is still a very young player and is getting used to the league, English life, and everything else.
Therefore, it would be unreasonable to expect him to immediately adapt to a new team, a new style of play, and a foreign nation.
“He’s really helped us, and we’re really happy with what he’s doing and how he’s done.
He’s been heavily involved in the games we’ve won, so he’s in a strong spot and will undoubtedly be a valuable addition to us throughout the season.
For numerous young men, this level and league are novel experiences.
However, you don’t use the language as much when you visit; this is something that he and his family had to get used to, and he did well.
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