Leicester City star Wilfried Ndidi has reaffirmed his commitment to the club as speculation surrounding his future intensifies.
Speaking to ESPN, Ndidi heaped praise on his manager Brendan Rodgers, saying that the “Brendan Rodgers effect” is the reason for the Foxes’ great season to date.
“It’s the Brendan Rodgers effect,” he said. “With him, it is not just about the eleven players and subs. Even the players in the under 23’s, he carries everybody along.
“So there is always space for anybody to fill in and to play. He is that kind of coach that always believes in the squad and not just one player. The main thing is the squad, the squad comes first.
“That is why we are doing very well, because we understand that we must always try our best. Where we are is because we work hard and try to improve all.
“There have been ups and downs, and there are still games after the lockdown and there are more points for us to try and get. For now, we are in a good position.”
Ndidi’s performances this season have seen him linked with a move away from the King Power, with Manchester United named as a potential destination.
The Nigerian star says he is “enjoying myself” in Leicester and has no plans to leave:
“We are doing well and I am enjoying myself here,” he said. “I still have a contract with Leicester. I am learning and trying to improve myself every day and I am doing okay here so no need to go anywhere.”
There aren’t many better defensive midfielders in the Premier League than Ndidi but it took time for him to reach that level.
Ndidi was a direct replacement for Ngolo Kante after the little Frenchman joined Chelsea, but his ability has only come to the fore properly in the last season or so. Ndidi gives the credit for that to his manager.
“No disrespect to other managers but kudos to Brendan Rodgers. He has done a lot of work on me. I remember the Chelsea game when [Mason] Mount took the ball from me and scored? That day made me a better player.
“The manager and the staff spoke to me. They made me understand what to do better and made me take it as a habit to do certain things. But he encouraged me to continue to play my game.
“The fact that he trusts and tries to improve the players is one thing. It is very difficult for a manager to come in and then dedicate himself to improving players, getting regular one on one meetings with players to help them make improvements.
“This is professional football, some teams won’t have that time for you to do all that. Everybody just focused on the business, they’re paying you for it and expect you to do the work. But Rodgers is different, very different.”
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