A calamitous end to the season may have ended up defining it, but even so, the individual talent couldn’t be kept quite for Leicester City – and there was plenty of it on display. Here, we take at look at the top three performers for the Foxes in the 2017/18 season:
3. Jamie Vardy
Goals: 23 (20 in the Premier League)
Appearances: 42
Jamie Vardy is getting even better with age, which is bad news for the Premier League’s defenders, and certainly the ones who play for a top six side. The England international seems to have a special place in his heart for a big team, as there can’t possibly be any other explanation for the 11 league goals that he has scored against the big boys this season.
However, it’s not just the goal tally that has made this campaign all the more special for Jamie Vardy. As well as winning the BBC Match of the Day’s goal of the season award for his strike against West Bromwich Albion, he has also got a place in Premier League history by becoming the first player to find the back of the net against each of the top six in one season.
Vardy’s overall record in the big games now stands at 26 goals in 44 appearances, which, as you’d expect, is the best of any striker in England.
2. Wilfred Ndidi
Appearances: 38
There aren’t many people who would agree with him being one of Leicester City’s top three players this season, but in reality, he has been immense, and is one of the reasons why Claude Puel’s side have finished in the top half of the table.
The Nigerian has improved more than any other Leicester player since last season, consequently establishing himself as the main man in the middle of the park, and one of the best, if not the best in his position in the Premier League.
The fans had been complaining about his decision making on the ball – and at times off it – ever since he arrived, but especially after the appointment of Claude Puel, he has improved his distribution of the ball, the passing accuracy and the tackling, too. He has been here, there and everywhere – as it was with N’Golo Kante.
1. Harry Maguire
Appearances: 44
Named Leicester City’s player of the year in his first season at the King Power Stadium, and rightly so. No one expected him to be as good as he has been, but he has surprised everyone on his way to becoming not just an important player for Leicester but a crucial part of Gareth Southgate’s England, too.
More importantly, the 25-year old has shown his leadership qualities, which is something that City do require as they plan for a future without the experience of such stalwarts as Wes Morgan, Robert Huth and Christian Fuchs.
The ability to organise a defence isn’t a quality that we see in a lot of English defenders these days, but the fact that Maguire has shown that so early in his career is a testament to the player he is or can be. Hopefully, he can do even better with the inclusion of another centre-back who complements him well.
Next: Leicester City: 2017/18 season review
Shocked to not see Riyad Mahrez on the list? Well, he had a terrific season, and his statistics do prove that. Harry Maguire, Wilfred Ndidi and Jamie Vardy, though, were too good in their respective positions to not be counted among the best three – and Mahrez wasn’t as good, even if by a tiny margin. Cruel game.