Foxes of Leicester
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Leicester City: Eldin Jakupovic a valuable backup to Kasper Schmeichel

By Khaled Abdallah

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - APRIL 29: Eldin Jakupovic of Hull City acknowledges the fans after the Premier League match between Southampton and Hull City at St Mary's Stadium on April 29, 2017 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - APRIL 29: Eldin Jakupovic of Hull City acknowledges the fans after the Premier League match between Southampton and Hull City at St Mary's Stadium on April 29, 2017 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images) /
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Leicester City’s new goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic is a valuable backup to Kasper Schmeichel and hopes to provide some “positive competition”

Last season, when Kasper Schmeichel suffered a broken hand, the Foxes were forced to rely on a keeper in Ron-Robert Zieler who was unfamiliar with the rigours of the Premier League. Zieler started his career with Manchester United but never made a senior team appearance for the Red Devils.

This season, Craig Shakespeare’s side will have no such concerns after they signed former Hull City goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic on a three-year deal. The 32-year-old has spent the last five seasons with Hull and was one of the few bright spots in a campaign that saw them relegated from the Premier League.

Hull may have conceded the most goals in the league, but that had more to do with a poor defence than anything Jakupovic did or did not do.

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The job of a backup keeper is two-fold – to support the number one and to step in case of injury or in lesser competitions. Some managers choose to stick with rotation of the keepers based on the competition, something we saw taken to the extreme as Jose Mourinho played Sergio Romero in every Europa League match, even the final, despite having David De Gea available.

If Leicester City choose to do so were they to make a deep run in the FA Cup or League Cup, they would be in good hands with Jakupovic. The Bosnian is aware of his role at the club and knows that his primary role is not to steal Schmeichel’s job but to support him and keep him sharp.

Speaking on his role, Eldin Jakupovic said:

"“I want to give him positive competition, because you need that. If I push myself, I will push him as well. That is good for both goalkeepers. Kasper is a fantastic goalkeeper. I knew when I came that it will be difficult, but I am here, I am a part of the team and I am going to my job when the team needs me. That is my goal, to push myself, and to push Kasper.”"

The Switzerland international  also spoke about the goalkeepers’ union and the bond that he is starting to build with his younger counterpart. Leicester City fans will be happy to know that were Schmeichel to go down like he did last season, the defence will be in the hands of an experienced and talented keeper like Jakupovic.