Caglar Soyuncu calls him “Modric”.
His England under-18s team-mates call him “Leicester’s Iniesta”.
His friends and family call him Sammy.
Just don’t call him “pint-sized”, or liken him to Robbie Savage, or Sam Braybrooke’s proud mother Sophie might have to have a word.
“He is small. We know that. But I think someone put the other day he is 1.60m tall (below 5ft 3in). He was like, ‘That’s just a joke!’
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“I asked him why people thought he was smaller than he actually is? I think it is because when he is playing his centre of gravity is very low and when he does his turns, pivoting, he looks even smaller but he actually isn’t that small! He is just over 5ft 7in. There are smaller players, but I suppose when he is surrounded by players who are all over six foot (then he might look small).”
He may not have the stature of Wilfred Ndidi and Boubakary Soumare, Leicester’s other deep-lying midfielders, and is physically more similar to Nampalys Mendy, who has been helping him within the under-23s, but the 17-year-old academy product makes up for his lack of size with tenacity, technical ability and an impressive football brain, leading to comparisons when he was coming through the ranks to N’Golo Kante, who led the Premier League statistics in 2015-16 for the most interceptions.
A source in the England set-up was full of praise for Braybrooke, who is fondly referred to within that group as “Leicester’s Iniesta” for his busy playing style and technique, and said they would be very surprised if he does not make his senior debut for Rodgers’ side this season.
“Don’t be fooled by his physicality,” the source says. “He reads the game so well and makes so many interceptions. He can get into physical duels but with his size it is about thinking his way through games.
“He knits the team together with short passes, he can hit the ball over long distances. He is a thinking footballer. He is an absolute diamond.”
Coming through the England ranks, Braybrooke has been tested in various midfield roles and the holding position is considered his best because of his ability to take possession under pressure in tight areas and play through the lines, moving his side up the pitch. He possesses that valuable ability to be able to see the next pass before he receives the ball.
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England Under-18 manager Ryan Garry and his staff are big fans, making Braybrooke captain for the recent international against Portugal, which ended in a 2-0 victory for the Young Lions.
(Photo: Simon Galloway/PA Images via Getty Images)Braybrooke may be a quiet, introverted character but Garry chose him to be captain because of the example he sets on and off the pitch, the dedication he shows in training and how he “lets his football do the talking”.
“I saw another side to him when he was captain,” says Sophie. “He is just Sammy at home and we don’t see what others see. He takes it all in his stride. He was already home when I got in from work on Tuesday. As I walked in I said: ‘Here’s the Captain’. He just smiled and asked what was for dinner. He is very cool.”
It isn’t just within the England ranks, or the Braybrooke family home in Wigston, that Sammy’s stock is rising. He has been in Leicester’s youth set-up for more than 10 years having been spotted playing for Oadby Owls, where his dad Jason was a coach and his three older brothers — Isaac, Oliver and Lucas — all played. It was Leicester’s head scout and prolific talent spotter Bill Ward who invited him to train at Belvoir Drive from the age of six, although he had a brief spell at Birmingham City before returning to Leicester when he was eight.
“From a very early age he always had a ball at his feet,” says Sophie. “His first word was ‘goal’. It was always about football. We have photos of him in a pram in the park and he had a ball in the pram, and he would be kicking it in the pram.”
Family friend Charlie Carmichael used to play football with the brothers in their garden.
“Sammy loves football and lives and breathes it. He is introverted and keeps himself to himself. All he talks about is football. In fact, as we speak he is out watching his friends play at Aylestone Park. He is always practising. That is probably one of the reasons he has gone so far and others haven’t, it’s his dedication. He is always wanting to play, learn and get better.
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“His only other passion outside football is trainers. He loves trainers and buys loads of them.”
Braybrooke went to the same school as Hamza Choudhury, Wigston College, and is following the Leicester midfielder’s path through the youth ranks and has been promoted from the under-18s to the under-23s this season, despite still being just 17.
Braybrooke came through the ranks with Sidnei Tavares, who is playing at Porto now. Tavares and Braybrooke played in a similar position, but Tavares’ departure has accelerated Braybrooke’s progress from being embedded in the under-18s to going into the under-23s, where he has started 10 games and played alongside the experienced Mendy.
He is also close friends with Kian Pennant, nephew of former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant, having come all the way through the academy system with the striker.
During pre-season, Braybrooke was invited to train with Brendan Rodgers’ first-team squad and he has impressed Rodgers so much that he has pushed for Braybrooke to be offered his first professional contract, which The Athletic has reported he is set to sign despite interest from a number of other clubs, including from Germany.
Braybrooke didn’t just catch Rodgers’ eye either. With his long, flowing blond hair, Braybrooke has been able to stand out among the senior players, and not just for his ability with a ball at his feet.
“We went up to talk to Jon Rudkin (director of football) about his development and we were waiting for the meeting when the first-team players were coming through,” Sophie explains. “They are very good with the younger players and it is a lovely club to be at. They stopped to say hello when Caglar Soyuncu came by and started shouting, ‘Hi, Modric!’
“He was always very particular about his hair with the fade and it had to be done a certain way. Then it grew and he liked it. It happened by accident and he quite likes it. He doesn’t have to worry about his skin fades and his trims now.
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“We were in the building and Brendan stopped and had a chat with us. He was really complimentary. He said we had a real talent and what a lovely son we had. He was very pleased he was part of the team.
“Sammy is very comfortable around them. I was the one who was starstruck, especially when Marc Albrighton walked past. He is my favourite. When we go to watch the games Sammy says, ‘Your boy’s coming on’ when Marc warms up. I pay attention then. I was thrilled when he held the door open for me. ‘There’s Marc, my favourite’.”
Captaining England, playing for Leicester, his first professional contract, being called Modric by Soyuncu — Braybrooke seems to take it all in his stride.
“He doesn’t like a fuss,” says Sophie. “We aren’t allowed to make a fuss. It is just normal to him.
“He is in that environment all day they are just the people he plays football with. That is how he sees it. It is not a major event to him.
“Sammy just does football. He doesn’t do anything else. He has made sacrifices. He doesn’t go out with friends and he doesn’t have a social life outside of football, but all his friends are at the club so he is seeing them all the time anyway, so he doesn’t feel he is missing out.”
(Top photo: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images
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