STARS ABROAD: Harambee Stars prospect makes Championship debut for Leicester City

Saturday, 23 August, will remain forever etched in the memory of Kenyan midfielder Silko Thomas Otieno as the day he finally stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight of English Championship football.

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After years of knocking on the door, the 20-year-old Leicester City prodigy, eligible to represent Kenya internationally, made his long-awaited first-team debut as the Foxes edged Charlton Athletic 1-0 at The Valley.

The breakthrough came after a turbulent period in his career.

Otieno, who spent last season on a shaky loan spell at Wigan Athletic before returning to Leicester for treatment, had previously flirted with the first team but never tasted the real action, until now.

The match itself was a tale of fine margins. Ghanaian winger Abdul Fatawu finally broke his 15-month goal drought with a composed finish past Thomas Kaminski, capping off a slick counter-attack that proved decisive.

Charlton believed they had levelled late on through Lloyd Jones, but his header was chalked off for a foul by referee Dean Whitestone.

Tyreece Campbell came agonisingly close moments later, heading over in the dying minutes as Marti Cifuentes’ side clung on to hand the Addicks their first defeat of the season.

For Otieno, the evening marked a personal turning point.

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Introduced in the 73rd minute for Jeremy Monga, the youngster clocked 18 minutes on the pitch and registered three touches, attempting a cross, contesting one aerial duel (unsuccessfully), and conceding possession three times.

On Instagram, his message was brief but telling: “Championship Debut.”

Born on June 25, 2004, in London, Otieno’s journey has been one of patience and perseverance.

He was snapped up from Carshalton Athletic by Chelsea on October 23, 2020. He cut his teeth in the Blues’ academy, featuring for both the U18 and U21 sides.

His most active season came in 2020/21, when he made 19 appearances for the U18s, accumulating 1,411 minutes and scoring twice.

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However, his time at Stamford Bridge ended on June 17, 2023, when he was among 13 players released at the close of their contracts.

Before that, he had undergone trials at Sheffield United but failed to secure a deal.

Leicester City offered him a lifeline, and his performances for their U21s earned him recognition, including a Premier League 2 Player of the Month nomination in March 2024 and a call-up to the first-team squad for the FA Cup clash against Birmingham City in January this year, where he remained an unused substitute.

Though capped by England at U15, U17, and U18 levels, Otieno remains eligible for Harambee Stars, as his appearances have only been at the junior level.