Leicester City manager, Claude Puel has applauded Super Eagles midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi saying he deserves to be named Leicester City’s best player this season.
Ndidi joined Leicester City just over a year ago, filling the void left behind by Ngolo Kante who joined Chelsea after helping the club win the Premier League title in 2016.
The 21 year old has featured in all Leicester City’s English Premier League games so far this season and has won more tackles than any other player in Europe’s top five divisions.
His 116 tackles is 21 more than the next most successful ball-winner, Everton’s Idrissa Gueye.
“Since the beginning of the season, Wilfred is the most consistent player because he plays well, he recovers a lot of balls and he deserves to be the best,” Puel states in an interview with Leicester Mercury.
“But since the beginning of the season, he’s improved a lot; he continues to work with good spirit in the training sessions, always correct.
“He is a valuable player for us because we didn’t have alot of players with the same attributes. He can recover a lot of balls, he is strong in the duels and now, when he plays simple with quality, he can give a good start in our play.”
Puel is regards the speculations linking his players away from the club as compliments.
Harry Maguire, Riyad Mahrez and Ndidi have all been linked away from the club.
“We speak about Wilfred, last week we spoke about Maguire,” says Puel.
“Every week, it’s a different player. It’s a good feeling, because if some players can have some speculations around them, all this shows that they progress in the team.
“They’ve got to continue to work with us, of course.
“I’m happy about Wilfred, like Harry, Riyad, Jamie, all the players. It’s a good thing also to have some players with this quality and about the interest of other teams also.”
Ndidi is yet to score for Leicester in the Premier League this season, despite finding the net in the FA Cup at Peterborough.
Puel also confirms that Daniel Amartey may be sidelined for a month, while Shinji Okazaki is available for the game against West Bromwich Albion.
“It is a hamstring injury. Other players, like Shinji, are available and fit to come back into the squad.
“[It will be] one month [for Amartey]. He can come back after this injury. There is an interesting competition in the squad and players show spirit to fight for their places.”
“We have some players starting a lot of games, of course, and I think about the other players who are in competition to find a place.
“It’s about our play, it’s about the confidence and finding the clinical edge.”
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