Town manager Kieran McKenna says summer signing Kasey McAteer is making really good strides and can play a big part with the Blues over the next few years.

The 24-year-old joined Town for £12 million from Leicester City, where he had come through the academy, in the summer, signing a four-year deal.

Irish international McAteer admitted in October that he had “found it tough” following his switch, but knew “there’s more to come from myself and I believe in myself”.

Quizzed on McAteer’s progress since then, McKenna said: “I think he’s making some really good strides, both behind the scenes and with the minutes that he’s had on the pitch of late. 

“I think he’s a player that has qualities that are really, really hard to find. I have to say, he arrived late, he arrived from a rival, there’s a transfer fee and things like that.

“Lots of things that make it difficult for a player to settle at a new club without a pre-season and arriving in a season of big expectations and things like that, none of which are anything to do with Kasey.

“He’s very young, I know he’s 24, which might not seem very young, but football-wise, he’s really young. He’s a late developer who grew late, started playing regular first-team football late, but we think he’s got really good qualities. 

“He’s six foot, he’s absolutely rapid, he’s good with both feet, can go forwards and backwards, and we think he’s got potential to keep improving.

“Like many of the players who came in, or even lads who’ve been here, he didn’t quite hit the rhythm at the start of the season, which can happen to the best players in the world transferring to the best clubs in the world.
 
“But he’s stuck at it, we’re seeing growth in training and in the minutes that he’s had lately, I think he’s taken some steps forward. It’s difficult because Wes [Burns] has also come back into the group now. 
 
“Wes has the benefit of promotions here, goals here, confidence of the crowd and everyone behind him, and he’s settled into the team really well.

“But Kasey’s a player that we’ve got to keep supporting and pushing because we think he’s got a really good chance over the next few years to have a good career. 
 
“I think if you look at where Wes was, maybe at 24 he was playing right-back for Fleetwood for the next three or four years, and I think Casey’s got some of the same qualities, but is still a bit younger in terms of learning the game and learning how to use his qualities and growing into himself. 
 
“So we’re happy with how he’s progressing, we know he’s ready to contribute as and when the team needs him, and he’s someone that we think can play a part here over the next few years.”

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