BascoVanVeli:


Football is tougher now, when u look at the amount of effort it takes to be on CR7's level Maradona did not work as hard. Defenders are faster, stronger and are given more information prior to matches. It is much harder to perform now. With drug testing the game is cleaner now also.

BascoVanVeli:
Leicester dynamo Wilfred Ndidi has potential to surpass N'Golo Kante

It may have startled people to be told Wilfred Ndidi was better than N'Golo Kante when the former moved to Leicester in January, but such a lofty statement doesn't look so outlandish now.

There were many who took exception to such a claim. And considering just how pivotal the Frenchman was to the Foxes' title win last term, and his continued consistency for Chelsea this season, you can understand their position regarding such an elevated opinion on an unknown quantity. And to be honest, that's fine.

But it can't be hard to imagine that posse Ndidi doubters are starting to change their view. Not after the Nigeria international's showings this season, and certainly not after Monday night's barnstormer in Leicester's 3-1 thrashing of Liverpool.

Ndidi may be some way behind Kante in terms of development and maturity, but he has the talent, the temperament and the willingness to learn and improve. His repertoire was once more on display on Monday night. He won 11 of his 14 tackles, a feat exceeding the entire Liverpool defence combined and bettered only by Kante, the man he replaced and with whom he has been compared. Kante won three more against the same opposition earlier in the season.

Ndidi also made five out of five clearances from his penalty area, added another three out of three headed clearances and won three of six aerial duels in a robust, full-bodied performance. For all of that, he was only penalised for one foul. One. What the numbers do not say, however, is the devastating effect his midfield command played in disrupting Liverpool's game to facilitate Leicester's.

While it may have been considered a stretch to rate the youngster so highly so early especially with little exposure to top level football, it was most certainly not a claim borne of flippancy.
All of the critical markers were already in place. Ndidi only turned 20 last December, but his understanding, interpretation and execution of his role in midfield is one that puts him a position to be among the best in the world within a few years.

It would not be a stretch to say that his development is more advanced than Kante was at the same age. At 19, the Frenchman was in the reserves at Boulougne in the French second tier and would not make his senior debut until two years later, dropping down to the third division a season after. He did not get to the top flight until he was 23.

By contrast, Ndidi moved straight from a semi-pro team in Nigeria to Genk at 18, and has taken just under a year to step up to one of the biggest and most competitive leagues in the world, where he is now thriving almost effortlessly.

He led the Europa League in interceptions while in Belgium, and has now brought the same cultured bulldog style to England. That style is fashioned by his versatility. Starting out as a striker, Ndidi has filled in competently in attacking midfield, full-back and centre-back positions at different times at both club and international level.

Here's the scary part: Ndidi is still evolving as a player. For all of his natural abilities, the one thing that points to an outstanding future is his continued humility and willingness to put in an honest training ground shift and improve on a day-by-day basis.

It is a trajectory that leads in only one direction: up. The more Leicester continue to improve, the more Ndidi will flourish. It may be early days but should come as no surprise if the suits at the King Power begin to look over their shoulders at potential suitors for Ndidi, or start looking to upgrade the size of their piggy bank to offer him a new deal. Either way, it's a win-win for them, and for Gernot Rohr and his Nigeria Super Eagles.

One thing is for certain: Leicester have definitely found the man to fill the Kante-sized hole in their midfield.



Colin Udoh is a Nigeria football correspondent for ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter @ColinUdoh.

TheGoodJoe:


CR7 can never do what Zidane did against Brazil in the 2006 World Cup. That performance was one of the best magical feat achieved on the pitch. Football of those greats was pure artistry.

Maradona's talent was not due to drugs. Take a player and feed him as much drugs as you like, he will never have the kind of ability Maradona had. He was unbelievably good. By 1979, when he matched out for the World Youth Championship, the stadium was jam packed because people wanted a glimpse of the magic of the demi football god and the little football sensation did not fail.

Football back then was more artistic than hard work. It was a test of ability than stamina or strength. They were more gifted and the game today is sour.

BascoVanVeli:


How can u say Ronaldo would never do something, did Zidane ever score over 60 goals for Madrid in a season.
Maradona did cocaine which is not a performance enhancing drug. Football would be dull to think that the culture of steriods didn't exist in the sport. U cannot tell me that u know all football players have been clean with wat we know about other sports. Fact is FIFA was slow to act on any doping for a long time.

BascoVanVeli:


How can u say Ronaldo would never do something, did Zidane ever score over 60 goals for Madrid in a season.
Maradona did cocaine which is not a performance enhancing drug. Football would be dull to think that the culture of steriods didn't exist in the sport. U cannot tell me that u know all football players have been clean with wat we know about other sports. Fact is FIFA was slow to act on any doping for a long time.

BascoVanVeli:


How can u say Ronaldo would never do something, did Zidane ever score over 60 goals for Madrid in a season.
Maradona did cocaine which is not a performance enhancing drug. Football would be dull to think that the culture of steriods didn't exist in the sport. U cannot tell me that u know all football players have been clean with wat we know about other sports. Fact is FIFA was slow to act on any doping for a long time.

Mickael2:



that is all you worry about isn't it? Ok Bro, go and compare CR7's stats to that of Gerd Muller and Van Basten, CR7 doesn't even come close.

The traits that define a great player isn't only the ability to score a lot of goals. For the past 6 seasons Ronaldo has been scoring goals consistently I agree, but has he been beating opposing defenders consistently? His dribbling stats are worse than that of....Kante! His key passes per 90 minute is very low, these are things that Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Zidane did consistently week in week out. Granted Ronaldo is AMONG the best goalscorers in the world(Romario and Muller are stil better than him in that aspect)but he is in way among the best ever. How many Balon d'ors did Gerd Muller win? None, but he was consistently the highest goalscorer year in year out, that was because back then people came to watch good football, not just the win-at-all-cost mentality that we see here.

CR7 in the 80s, 90s or even early 2000s MIGHT have only won one Balon D'or, the one he won in 2008 was quite deserved on all fronts(that's assuming the other players back then weren't in top form), stop counting goals alone, look at it from separate angles

TheGoodJoe:




You left a match with a huge smile on your face and a memory that will take two life times to forget.

BascoVanVeli:


Who said I counted goals alone? I guess u needed a reason to give ur sermon but I also mentioned drug testing and players taking better care of themselves these days.

joseph1013:
Musa is being chased out of the team at Leicester. He's not in the squad for today's game again. The players must really hate him.

BascoVanVeli:
Ndidi has been poor so far today, hope he improves.

TheGoodJoe:


Give the coaching crew time before the negativity. Even the English coaching crew were myopic to the quality of Iwobi. Will you call that bribery and corruption?

komekn:


What negativity

I don't think anything has changed for Iwobi where England is concerned. Do you really think he will be a regular in the senior team for England. Have no doubt that we rate Iwobi a lot higher than they do.

You have to at times put on objectivity not sentimentality when taking a view of English football. What are the dynamics, mentality and inherent cultural perceptions that form thier deductions where football is concerned.

I have met and know too many black players at every level England international, Nigerian internationals, etc, etc. And every single one of them attests to race being an issue. I also know this to be true from my own experience. However, that becomes even more pronounced the more up north you go.

tbaba1234:
Aluko scored for Fulham...

tbaba1234:
According to the rankings on Whoscored.com, the best Leicester players in this game against Hull are:

Mahrez: 8.5
Fuchs: 7.3
Ndidi: 7.1

tbaba1234:


He has not been poor.. Average not poor..

TheGoodJoe:


CR7 can never do what Zidane did against Brazil in the 2006 World Cup. That performance was one of the best magical feat achieved on the pitch. Football of those greats was pure artistry.

Maradona's talent was not due to drugs. Take a player and feed him as much drugs as you like, he will never have the kind of ability Maradona had. He was unbelievably good. By 1979, when he matched out for the World Youth Championship, the stadium was jam packed because people wanted a glimpse of the magic of the demi football god and the little football sensation did not fail.

Football back then was more artistic than hard work. It was a test of ability than stamina or strength. They were more gifted and the game today is sour.