Jamie Vardy reveals what happened on Riyad Mahrez’s return to Leicester City
Jamie Vardy has revealed how a team meeting helped Riyad Mahrez ease himself into Leicester City again.
The Algerian went AWOL just ahead of the Deadline Day, only to return back about a couple of weeks later, and just in time to feature in the 5-1 hammering at the hands of Manchester City.
Initially, there had been reports revealing that the Leicester City players were upset and angry with what Riyad Mahrez had done after the Foxes denied him the glorious chance to move to the Etihad Stadium.
To some extent, the blame isn’t Mahrez’s but the club’s, too; however, the timing of his actions wasn’t particularly good with Leicester due to face Everton a day after he had disappeared in mysterious circumstances – or so it seems.
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When he returned back to the camp, it was always going to be a bit weird and embarrassing for him to face his teammates again, but he somehow gathered the courage to call a team meeting and explain his actions to all of them. Safe to say, it’s his best off-field doing for a long time. Jamie Vardy’s words certainly suggest so.
"“It is what it is,” Jamie Vardy told Sky Sports .“The bid came in, it was turned down, and you can understand his disappointment. But while he wasn’t here we were having to get on with it.“We are all professionals and had to play without him. It happens if he is injured or on the bench, so we just focused on the games. He came back, got us in the dressing room, explained the situation, and you move on.“Everyone is exactly the same, they know what they have to do and their jobs. It was Riyad who wanted the meeting and got everyone in the dressing room and explained the situation, which is kept behind closed doors between us, and as far as everyone else is concerned that’s that.“You have to make sure it’s like that, with the dressing room we have got everyone is a close-knit group so for him personally to want to do that shows what he is about.”"
Thankfully, the transfer saga is a thing of the past now, and Riyad Mahrez is back to playing football again. The 26-year old was in action this afternoon, too, displaying his class and talent against Stoke City with an excellent display.
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It wasn’t, enough, however, as missed chances – including a glorious chance for Mahrez himself – combined with a visible lack of quality in every area meant that the points had to be shared.