Freddie Draper started his 36th league game for the Imps last night, but made his 100th appearance.
He joins Rob Burch, Danny Hone and Mark Wallington on 100, but will likely go beyond that this coming weekend. In his sights are Jamie Forrester (101), Jason Lee (106) and Tony Lormor (113). Illustrious names, but few have reached the threshold at the tender age of 21.
In his time at the club, Draper has bagged 12 goals, nine in the league, and while it isn’t prolific by any stretch, he did make his debut as a 17-year-old at a time when (as seemed to always be the case) we were suffering with injuries. However, his route to 100 appearances has been far from straightforward.
He made his debut for City in October 2021 at Hillsborough, coming off the bench against Sheffield Wednesday. He was denied his first goal against Wigan after a foul, and played up to the Boxing Day defeat against MK Dons. It was a tough time for City, Michael Appleton’s previous campaign hadn’t led to the expected promotion push, and we went big in the window, signing John Marquis, Liam Cullen and Ben House.
That led to his first loan spell, an important stint with Gainsborough Trinity that provided regular minutes before he returned to claim the Academy Player of the Season award. That period also included a nomination for LFE Apprentice of the Season, recognition that reflected the progress he was making in the youth setup.
A change in manager saw a change in fortunes for Freddie. Initially, he signed a new long-term contract, quickly followed by his first senior goal for City in the EFL Trophy against Newcastle United Under 21s. After starting in the Chippenham debacle, Mark Kennedy lost faith in the youngster, and he joined Drogheda United for a season-long loan.
That was the making of him. He scored his first goal for the Irish side in March, added several more in the following weeks and earned a nomination for the League of Ireland Player of the Month award in May. He won that award and became the first Drogheda player to do so since 2014 and the first teenager to receive it since 1999. His loan ended in late June and he returned to City having scored eight times.
Kennedy was still in charge in 23/24, and Draper moved to Walsall on loan after signing another long-term deal with the Imps. He made an immediate contribution, registering an assist on his debut and scoring early in the campaign. His time with Walsall included his first career hat trick, completed with a stoppage-time equaliser at Newport. By January 2024 he had scored ten goals in 22 league appearances. Meanwhile, we’d stumbled through the winter with only one fit striker, Jovon Makama, and watched enviously as Draper did well.
Kennedy left, Michael Skubala arrived, and that signalled part two of the Draper story. Recalled in January, he scored his first league goal for City to earn a point at Reading, then bagged the winner at Cheltenham to push us into the top six. In February 2025, he signed another new contract running to the summer of 2028. At the end of that campaign he received the club’s Community Player of the Year award, a further milestone in a career that has continued to develop season by season.
Last season, he racked up the appearances, 47 in total, netting five times. He was effective, but looked bulky, and earlier this campaign, he confessed he’d focused more on his physique. He certainly looks leaner this time out, and as of last night, he moved onto four goals and two assists for the season. Given that he has been in and out of the side, and he’s played deeper as a ten at times, six goal involvements isn’t a terrible return.
Overall, he has nine League One goals and two assists, both added this season, which suggests a slight arc for him, shifting not only to be a decent nine but also a target ten, holding up play.
What does the future hold for Freddie? There was talk of a Walsall bid last season, rebuffed and then instantly dismissed with his latest new deal, running to summer 2028. There does seem to be a maturity entering his game, and while he is still punished a lot for fouls, he’s getting cuter. He’s fifth for fouls committed this season in League One (behind Ben House) and yet has been the target of some rough challenges, none more so than last night’s sharp elbow in the back by Maël de Gevigney.
For the record, it is interesting that James Collins is 12th for fouls suffered, but two of our other strikers are top five for fouls committed. That’s experience for you.
And that is exactly what is next for Draper. Experience. He’s getting chances; in his last six games, he has registered chances worth xG, but has scored just once. For a young player, I don’t mind that. He’s getting in the right areas, and with House and Collins injured, he’ll feature more regularly as a nine. His work rate was excellent last night, and while I don’t have running stats, I’d love to see how he compared to other players in the nine from earlier in the season – my eye test tells me favourable.
Of course, he’d like more goals, but they’ll come if he keeps getting in good positions. To answer the second part of the question, what comes next, my honest shout is ‘another 100 appearances’. It might take that for him to garner enough experience to turn the rough treatment into fouls that are not waved away, and to up that one in ten ratio to maybe one in three.
Do that, and by the time 2028 comes, he’s going to be either tied to another contract or playing elsewhere, having commandeered a high six-figure fee.
Congratulations on reaching 100 outings Freddie.
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