HIGHLIGHT
I just came here to play my own game. I just feel like a different player to kante.
The Foxes midfielder has been brought in to replace the outgoing Frenchman but insists that he cannot be compared to the tireless Chelsea star
Wilfred Ndidi has played down comparisons to N’Golo Kante as he helps to repair the damage caused by the loss of the box-to-box midfielder at Leicester.
Craig Shakespeare has steadied the ship while Ndidi has become a key cog in Leicester’s first team, with some commentators suggesting he plays a similar role at the France international, who moved to Chelsea from the King Power in the summer.
“No, I have never put myself in Kante’s shoes,” Ndidi toldGoal. “I didn’t look to play like him when I arrived. I just came here to play my own game. I just feel like a different player to him.
“He is a good player, he has proved that he’s great this season. With the support of others, you can do anything you want and you can do it here.”
Ndidi is seven-and-a-half inches taller and five years younger than Kante, but he does hold some similarities in his style of play, as he covers lots of ground for his team. And the pair do have comparable personalities, with the Nigeria international being both modest and softly spoken.
“My parents are very, very happy. Although, my dad never wanted me to play. He wanted me to go to school instead but I didn’t listen,” he continued with a smile. “I was always just playing football.
“When you are in the game, you have great opportunities so I don’t really try to look where I want to be. I just want to play and do my best. If I work hard, it will open doors to get me wherever God wants me to be.”
He also wanted to thank his compatriot Ahmed Musa for helping him to settle.
“I have this mind to adapt quickly,” he said when asked about moving to Leicester from Belgium, where he played with Genk. “I didn’t find it very difficult. It is easy because everybody speaks English. I have a team-mate Ahmed Musa from Nigeria, which helps also.
