BEST& WORST LEICESTER CITY

Author David Bevan remembers Jamie Vardy’s wonder volley, the Ceefax striker and Ian Ormondroyd

XI

BEST: Kasper Schmeichel, Ricardo Pereira, Wes Morgan, Matt Elliott, Christian Fuchs, Riyad Mahrez, Wilfred Ndidi, N’golo Kanté, Muzzy Izzet, Emile Heskey, Jamie Vardy.

WORST: Rab Douglas, John Curtis, Jacob Laursen, Ryan Mcgivern, Tony Spearing, Momo Sylla, Junior Lewis, Dennis Wise, Joe Hamill, Marko Futacs, Harry Kane.

PLAYER

B: It can only be Vardy [ right]. I can’t really imagine Leicester without him. W: On the pitch, Wise was terrible. Off it, he was a hundred times worse.

MOMENT

B: It’s difficult to describe how it felt when Morgan lifted the Premier League trophy in 2016 [ right]. I only started believing about a week before.

W: The tragic accident that resulted in five people losing their lives, including Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. He was more than a chairman – he had a real bond with the city.

GAME

B: A raucous night knocking Sevilla out of the Champions League in 2017. W: When Wycombe signed striker Roy Essandoh from Ceefax and he denied us an FA Cup semi- final spot in 2001.

GOAL

B: Vardy’s ludicrous over- the- shoulder volley to equalise against West Brom in 2018 was spectacular. W: Troy Deeney’s play- off semi- final winner for Watford in 2013 – seconds after Anthony Knockaert’s penalty miss – felt like a punch to the stomach.

KIT

B: The pinstripe 1983 effort sponsored by Ind Coope is a favourite, particularly the green- and- yellow away number.

W: For our 120th anniversary ( which isn’t a thing) in 2004- 05, we launched a kit called ‘ Fosse Gold’, which was the colour of pollution.

NICKNAME

B: ‘ The Ice Kings’ continued to win in 1963 despite that winter’s big freeze. W: The people who label us ‘ Fester’ and other East Midlands clubs ‘ Florist’ and ‘ Direby’ are usually grown men.

SIGNING

B: Obviously Vardy, Mahrez and Kanté, but I find it incredible that we signed Pereira and Ndidi. Both are sensational.

W: Replacing Heskey with Ade Akinbiyi in 2000 wasn’t so much a step down as a whole staircase.

MANAGER

B: He splits opinion with some of our fans, but I’m a staunch Nigel Pearson disciple. He put everything we needed in place and the club is still reaping the benefits today.

W: Ian Holloway talked. A lot. We were relegated to League One in 2007- 08.

CULT HERO

B: Either Esteban Cambiasso or Ian Ormondroyd, which sums up my 30 years following this crazy football club.

W: ‘ Tricky’ Trevor Benjamin, the 76- club striker who wore glasses and struggled to find the net without them.

AWAY TRIP

B: A 3- 0 win in beautiful Bruges on our Champions League debut was a real pinch- yourself experience.

W: Losing our ninth match in a row at the end of 2000- 01 to a deflected Carl Cort goal against Newcastle.

OPPONENT

B: We love playing Derby. Shame they don’t appear able to get promoted, so we can guarantee six points.

W: Until this season, we hadn’t won at Arsenal since 1973 – the year current manager Brendan Rodgers was born.

FACIAL HAIR

B: Marcin Wasilewski did a photo shoot holding a UFC belt and looked the part. W: James Maddison’s giving it a go, but it’s not getting anywhere.

HARD MAN

B: The man, the legend, Steve Walsh – you wouldn’t mess with him.

W: The pantomime dame of hard men, Robbie Savage.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH “He looked over the rim for two minutes, then said, ‘ OK, seen it, let’s go’” – Ian Woan on Sean Dyche’s reaction to the Grand Canyon