Former manager of Aston Villa and Birmingham City Alex Mcleish has given an insight on what fans of Leicester City should expect from incoming Nigerian midfielder cum defender Wilfred Ndidi.
The 57-year-old Scot, who was in charge of the Belgians for the 2014-2015 season, told MirrorSport: “He is Kante-like.
“He will cover the ground like Kante does.“In terms of technique, you wouldn’t say he is the best passer in the world but he keeps it simple.
“I saw him on tape and at the next recruitment meeting we pushed the button. I immediately saw the speed of the boy.“We had no money to spend on any bigger names to help the first team because those were the parameters under which I took the job. But I said, ‘Let’s get this guy’, I recommended we signed him for 100,000 Euros.
“I’ve taken a big interest in the kid since and they want a fortune for him now.”
The Scot’s successor, Peter Maes, then started to play Ndidi in midfield as he matured.
McLeish added: “I gave him his debut at left-back, because we were absolutely short. He did well for a kid just coming in that day and was amazing.
“He is lean and has a fantastic spring. His speed got him out of a lot of trouble and although we lost the game 1-0 to a late Charleroi goal, we all agreed he could be a big player for the team.
“We all felt midfield would be probably be where he could be most effective. He has blossomed after my successor decided to move him there.”
“To see the progress Ndidi has made since is brilliant and he has had a great year at Genk.”
