Rodgers confirms clear-out of squad
ALGERIAN WINGER, ALONG WITH SILVA AND DIABATE, EXPECTED TO LEAVE BEFORE END OF MONTH
LEICESTER City have not finished trimming their squad with Rachid Ghezzal, Adrien Silva and Fousseni Diabate all likely to leave before the end of the month.
Striker Islam Slimani joined Monaco on loan this week and he will not be the final player through the King Power Stadium exit door, with Brendan Rodgers confirming that he expects further departures before the European transfer windows close on September 2.
Neither Ghezzal, Silva nor
JAMES Maddison wants to be the best he can be but will not be rising to the top on raw talent alone.
The Leicester City midfielder is putting in the hard yards to ensure he keeps improving, with manager Brendan Rodgers revealing that he puts in extra training every day.
Maddison’s sublime second-half display helped secure a point for City at Chelsea and he could be rewarded with a first senior England cap next month.
With Harry Maguire sold, 22-yearold Maddison may now be City’s prize asset and the elite clubs are sure to come sniffing next summer.
“I’ve spoken to James a lot, he’s a really good boy,” said Rodgers. “I sense a real hunger from him to be the best player he possibly can be. He’s one who has a real natural gift for the game and he’s learning the game from a tactical perspective, playing in different positions.
“I just find him really football bright, you can really engage with him in a football perspective.
“He’s a real good lad, has the right spirit, he’s very much a team player although he has an individual talent. He knows collectively that he puts the work in for the team.
“He’s very committed, he has ambition. He sees here as being a good place to improve. He wants to be the best player he can.
“The best players have that ambition. What I say to players is to achieve what you want to mentally.
“Psychologically it has to be aligned to the physical side. Many players say they want to be the best they can be but they are last into training and first away, so what they want to be isn’t matched up by putting the effort in. He’s a guy that puts the effort in.
“The experience of working with the best, young and senior, is they do the work, it is not rocket science.
“The push is to keep him thinking that way. The problem is if you are a natural talent it comes naturally to you. But thankfully for James he wants to work, he wants to improve and be better.
“Everyone talks about his setpieces but it does not come by accident. Every day he will spend extra time on them, the quality he has on his delivery is sensational.
“He has confidence as he puts the work in. If you work hard and prepare that ultimately gives you confidence. He’s a young boy and he is working hard to maximise his talent.”
While branded as a No.10, Maddison has either played in a deeper role, alongside Youri Tielemans, or off the left flank under Rodgers.
The manager has suggested he will continue to move Maddison about the pitch to find the best position for him on a game-by-game basis.
“I’ve tried to take him out of the floaty position he has been labelled as – the No.10 – not so many teams play with a No.10 and for me he’s shown that by playing as an eight in certain games.
“He’s played, like he did at Chelsea, just off the side, not as a winger but his in-built brain takes him into those areas.
“I think he’s flexible, that’s the beauty of him. There are players who are multi-talented.
“You put him in the team and then depending on the structure of the team, you find the best position for him.
“In certain games he can play in central midfielder as an eight, or at the top of a diamond like against Stoke (in pre-season). In a narrow front three he can play off that.
“He has the capacity to play in a few positions. Some guys can only play one role, but he has the quality and brain to play really well in a couple of positions. It keeps the numbers of your squad down.”