Hamza back in blue with lessons from red and green

When Hamza Choudhury walked through the doors of Leicester City's Seagrave Training Ground earlier this week, there was perhaps a renewed edge to his stride.

Tanned by summer heat, tuned by a season of relentless graft at Sheffield United, and tested by rollercoaster ride with Bangladesh, the 26-year-old returned to the club where his footballing identity was forged.

It's been a whirlwind few months for the Loughborough-born Bangladeshi. A brief but intense international return with the Bangladesh men's team, including an emotionally charged 2–1 defeat to Singapore in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, had seen Hamza emerge as a symbol of aspiration for a football-hungry nation.

Bangladesh fans have their hopes pinned on a historic qualification following the arrival of Hamza, whose Premier League pedigree brought both expectation and pride.

But now, back at Leicester, Hamza's focus has shifted. The Foxes were relegated from the Premier League last season, while his loan club Sheffield United, despite flashes of promise, narrowly missed out on promotion.

And the stage is already being set, with Leicester having kicked off a rigorous summer camp, featuring a 3-1 win against Peterborough United, with matches against Shrewsbury Town (July 23), FC Augsburg (August 3) in Germany, and RC Lens (August 10) in place -- all in preparation for their Championship opener against Sheffield Wednesday on August 19.

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Hamza, who joined the squad later alongside fellow midfielder Kasey McAteer, brings both seniority and bite to a team -- former Premier League champions and FA Cup winners -- aiming to return to the big stage at the first time of asking.

While younger talents like Louis Page and Silko Thomas are lighting up the early pre-season friendlies, coach Andy King stressed the importance of senior players like Hamza in setting the tone.

"There has to be balance, you can't have 11 young lads playing," King said.

"With senior players coming back, there comes more competition for places. That's adult football. As they go on, we can't all play. Ultimately, the best ones will play, and it's about trying to perform to keep that shirt when you've got it."

For Hamza, balance has never been in question. His game is a calculated chaos: clean tackles, positional discipline, and an ability to press that many managers cherish.

At Sheffield last season, he became a vital cog in Chris Wilder's setup; be it as a defensive midfielder or a right-back.

Back in Bangladesh, his face still adorns social media timelines, his words still echo in footballing social media groups.

There's hope he'll return to the red and green in September, fitter, sharper, and ready to lead again, for their two friendlies against Nepal.