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ON THE BALL: Nigerian Wilfred Ndidi has already shown he is going from strength to strength this season

WHEN NGOLO Kante got his move to Chelsea, there were some big shoes left to fill at Leicester City.

Since moving from Genk, Wilfred Ndidi has stepped up and made the midfield role his own. At just 22, Ndidi has all the skills to reach the heights of his predecessor.

BUSY
The Nigerian international shows no signs of slowing down despite a busy summer, which included a third place medal at the African Cup of Nations. Ndidi played the full 90 minutes in Leicester’s opening Premier League fixture against Wolves, despite not featuring during pre-season, a testament to his natural fitness and athleticism, and how valued he is at the club.

He completed four tackles against Wolves and proved to be a thorn in Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves’ sides, constantly hustling and breaking up the play.

Ndidi started his career as a centre-back but has stepped into the role that allows the creative forces in the Leicester team to do their thing; he is the enforcer of the Leicester midfield and has topped the pile for tackles completed for the last two seasons, proving himself to be one of the best defensive midfielders in the league.

Ndidi sits as the anchor in midfield and allows the likes of the more expansive Youri Tielemans and James Maddison license to roam in Brendan Rodgers’ free-flowing attacking system.

During the last top-flight campaign he completed 143 tackles and 83 interceptions, beating off the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Idrissa Gueye. Ndidi has won 32 caps for Nigeria, and his hero is legendary Super Eagle John Obi Mikel, who he replaced when he made his debut for the African nation.

CONNECTION
There is another Nigerian connection at Leicester’s King Power Stadium, as Ndidi’s compatriot, John Obi Mikel, is on the books as well. With just four assists and two goals last season, Ndidi will be hoping to contribute more to his club and country’s offensive play.

He got off to a flyer in terms of goal scoring when he headed in Leicester’s equaliser against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on match day two of the Premier League No doubt by the season’s end Ndidi’s stock will rise even further. After massive investment, Leicester are touted by many as a genuine challenge for a coveted top four spot and a serious tilt at one of the two domestic cups.

Ndidi will literally be central to it all.