Youth in Belek: Igor Draszczyk

The offensive player has been connected to Lech Poznań since his childhood. He started his career at Pogoń Książ Wielkopolski, then moved to UKS Śrem before joining Lech’s Academy at the age of 11. Draszczyk got the chance to represent Lech in the Lech Cup tournament – he and his colleagues ended up third and the winger scored 6 goals in total. The next step in his career was the move to Wronki where a part of Lech’s Academy players is based. Draszczyk won a Championship title with his U-15 squad and even scored a crucial goal in the late minutes of the semi-final against Legia Warsaw (2:1).

In the following season, the youngster joined the Younger Juniors team and made his official debut in the Older Juniors squad which won the U-19 Polish Championship title. In the current campaign, Draszczyk appeared in 14 games on the Central Junior League level (U-19) and even played in the UEFA Youth League, as well as for Lech’s B-Team, in the Polish third division. “I think it was a great season for me, I have made visible progress in many aspects,” said Igor Draszczyk.

For the homegrown player, the training camp in Turkey is not the first experience with the senior team. The 16-year-old has already practised alongside the A-team players during the September international break, back when John van den Brom led the squad. The following month, he also appeared for 15 minutes in a friendly game against Miedź Legnica (3:2). Draszczyk will have another opportunity to play alongside his more experienced colleagues on Thursday when Lech is going to face Maribok and Shakhtar Donetsk in friendly matches.

“The first week has been positive, the intensity and the quality of the players are at the highest level which makes the training sessions even more enjoyable. I was prepared for the increase in the tempo and the quality of the game. Everyone is eager to help the youth players on and off the pitch, which makes the adaptation process easier,” explained the 16-year-old.