Wilfred Ndidi: A look at the Leicester City fan-favourite

Scoring against Derby County for Leicester City in the FA Cup before your twentieth birthday will always transform a player into a household name. Foxes of Leicester charts the rise and rise of Wilfred Ndidi from humble beginnings to being arguably the hottest property in his position in the world’s most competitive league.

Tough Beginning

The central midfielder’s rise hasn’t come with ease, his first start was a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea. Constant comparisons to title-winner N’golo Kanté set the bar particularly high.

The tall Nigerian is, however, making strides (one specific statistic would make Kanté proud), with Ndidi having the highest number of tackles completed out of all players in the Premier League.

The glamour of the elite league he finds himself in now is far from Ndidi’s formative years. His beginnings were growing up in Lagos’ Military Zone while his father went on dangerous missions in Africa as a Nigerian Soldier.

Always loving football, a scout took him to Belgium for a trial where they would turn him from a centre-back to a central midfielder.

LEICESTER, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 29: Wayne Rooney of Everton is tackled by Wilfred Ndidi of Leicester City during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Everton at The King Power Stadium on October 29, 2017 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /

He Loves A Challenge

From 114 attempted challenges, he’s successfully made 49 – that’s 10 more than the next competitor, Huddersfield’s Aaron Mooy. Added together with his interceptions results in a 60% rate. This is extremely impressive for a young man still learning his trade. Kanté is further down the stat chart.

Although this is a seemingly attractive attribute or success rate, there’s a subtle nuance to this particular stat. As with ‘clearances’, tackles can be deceiving: it can mean a team defending or on the back-foot more than a triumphant side should be.

For example, a team winning easily, say 3-0, are most likely keeping possession, while making less challenges; however, in Ndidi’s case he is or has been part of an evolutionary midfield.

Revolving Around Him

The Nigerian also has the most passes from any Leicester City player (518). This illuminates the fact that he is a focal point of this team. His ‘engine’ is as good as any – he never seems to suffer from fatigue.

Since losing their Premier League winning partnership of Danny Drinkwater and Kanté, there’s been an exercise by the club to replace the irreplaceable.

With an above average height (for centre midfield-players) of six-foot-two inches, Ndidi can out-jump and also outmuscle his midfield adversaries.

LEICESTER, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 18: Vicente Iborra of Leicester City clears the ball during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Manchester City at The King Power Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /

A Quality Mentor

In the elder, more experienced Vicente Iborra, Wilfred Ndidi has a perfect partner to light up England. The former Sevilla captain is calm under pressure and a great selector of passes, not to mention a good reader of the opponent’s attacking play. This will give Ndidi the chance to get forward, create chances and even score himself.

The Leicester City fans will surely want to see more top finishes – like his rocket of a shot against Stoke which was nominated for goal of the month last season. He also had some absolute stunners for Genk.

A charming young man

The 20-year-old certainly has a very likeable and affable personality. He is constantly seen to be positive, not to mention a supporter of good causes or charities on social media etc. (philanthropy). Some professionals do not engage with their devoted fans, so it’s refreshing to see such a mature head on young shoulders.

The Leicester supporters certainly ‘can’t get enough’ of him – he’s often featured in the club’s promotional videos, also interviews and product promotion. With these attributes, it should be easier to learn and partake in Iborra’s wisdom.

Former Leicester manager, Craig Shakespeare knows Ndidi well, saying this of the Nigerian International:

"“He’s a very endearing personality”"

This adds weight or legitimacy to the already positive effect he’s had on his teammates and the club as a whole. Ndidi is seen to encourage his teammates when losing, while constantly wearing a smile on his face.

Room for Improvement

While we praise his successes and advancement, there are areas to refine for the Leicester City player, specifically decision making. The Premier League will give you no second chances, mind.

A loose ball or a misplaced pass can be capitalised on, turning into a goal in the space of seconds. Possession utilised correctly is essential. Ndidi has only scored three for Leicester City – he’s capable of much more with his new ally in midfield.

The definition of Ndidi is “patience” in Igbo language – to make it to the top, he’ll need to employ this virtue.

See him at the world cup for Nigeria.

Leicester City’s midfield lynchpin will be keen to prove himself in Russia next year. Nigeria have three Foxes in their side, namely Kelechi Iheanacho, Ahmed Musa and of course, Ndidi. They are all very likely to be ‘on the plane’ and will most probably feature heavily in the competition.