When it has come to Leicester City receiving plaudits this season, they have primarily been given to manager Brendan Rodgers and Premier League top scorer Jamie Vardy. Wilfred Ndidi, Youri Tielemans, James Maddison, Ricardo Pereira and Caglar Soyuncu: the list of players who have received compliments for the Foxes is virtually endless. But one man who has played a vital role in this campaign without receiving much notable praise is Ayoze Perez.
Whenever Rodgers has made a considerable number of changes to keep his key players fresh, Perez has retained his place in the starting eleven. It is a testament to how much the manager trusts the player he bought in from Newcastle United over the summer and that faith has been repaid with five goals and four assists. Those contributions have put him third highest amongst the Foxes for goals this term and second for assists, an invaluable contribution to their Champions League push.
When previously with Newcastle, the 26-year-old tended to hit his best form towards the latter stages of the season, and he could yet be on the cusp of doing that. In his last two Premier League matches Perez has provided a goal and three assists, having a decisive influence in back to back wins after the Liverpool defeat on Boxing Day. If the Foxes are to finish above Manchester City and push Jurgen Klopp’s side to the end, then continuing to increase his output is essential.
Perez’s versatility has also come in handy to Rodgers when the Northern Irishman has fancied reshuffling his side, and the Spaniard has featured as a centre forward, attacking midfielder, right-winger and right midfielder throughout the opening 21 Premier League games. The tactical and positional discipline Rafael Benitez would have taught Perez is proving to be incredibly useful for Leicester City. It will also come in handy when they are forced to expand their squad next term to match the increased demand on their squad in the Champions League if they reach it.
Leicester City are having a superb season so far and one of their most successful since the introduction of the Premier League, and rightfully many players are receiving the plaudits for their performance. One man who is going under the radar despite his exploits this season though is Ayoze Perez and he will be crucial in their top-four hopes.
