'It Was Very Scary For Me' - Leicester's Ndidi On Stepping Into The Shoes Of Kante

Wilfred Ndidi has admitted that he was frightened when Leicester City signed him in January 2017 as a replacement for N'Golo Kante who had moved to Chelsea earlier in the 2016-2017 season.

Kante carved out a reputation for himself during The Foxes title-winning season, playing in all but one of their matches and ending the season as the top tackler and top interceptor in the English Premier League.

Ndidi has worked just as hard as the Frenchman since his arrival at the King Power Stadium, finishing the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 seasons as the top tackler in the top-flight.

The 23-year-old's consistent displays have seen him linked with some of Europe's heavyweights including Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG and Manchester United.

"The pressure I had was that they just won the league. Kante left and they were looking for a replacement. Seeing this whole situation, it was very scary for me," Ndidi said to Out of Home Podcast via Daily Star.

"I was comfortable at Genk but it was like an opportunity for me to actually develop in my career.

"It was the right time for me to go because Genk wanted me to progress in my career.

"It was difficult at that time because I had to leave for another country and start afresh.

"Even during training, everyone wanted to see what I can do because the person who just left actually made a mark. So, the pressure was just there."

A product of Nath Boys Academy, Ndidi has 111 Premier League appearances under his belt, scoring six goals.

Igho Kingsley