Russell Martin has revealed why he started new signing Josh Cullen after he had trained with the team just once.

Russell Martin has praised Josh Cullen after the midfielder made his first appearance for Leicester City, with the manager pleased by what he saw from the new arrival.

Cullen featured in Leicester’s latest pre-season outing as Martin continues to assess his squad ahead of the new campaign.

While the midfielder is still working towards full match sharpness, his performance offered plenty of encouragement for the Leicester boss.

Martin was particularly impressed by Cullen’s contribution during his first game for the club and believes the midfielder will only become more effective as he gets up to speed and builds his fitness.

‘I was happy with Cullen’s contribution in his first game for us’

The Leicester manager also highlighted an important aspect of Cullen’s performance, pointing to the chances that came his way during the match.

Martin believes that, with greater match fitness and sharpness, the midfielder could have added his name to the scoresheet.

‘We had really brilliant chances and if Cullen is a bit more game-ready, he’d score’

Cullen’s arrival provides Leicester with another option in midfield, and his first outing will have given Martin a useful opportunity to see how he fits into his plans.

With the new season fast approaching, Cullen will now look to build on his debut and continue adapting to Martin’s system.

For Leicester supporters, Martin’s comments will be encouraging, particularly with the manager clearly expecting more from Cullen once he reaches peak fitness.