Competition Pushing De Laet On

The Belgian has started every one of City’s Barclays Premier League fixtures this term, but the summer arrival of former Manchester United team-mate Danny Simpson has seen him pushed every step of the way for his place. 

Combined with the Foxes’ mixed fortunes in terms of results this season, it has been an eventful re-introduction to top-flight football for De Laet, who previously tasted it during a loan spell with Norwich City in 2011/12. 

The defender has impressed in City’s wins over Manchester United and Stoke City, but he knows that the Premier League is a much more formidable challenge than the Championship. 

He told LCFC.com: “In the Premier League the quality of players that you come up against are better than in the Championship. They’re just that bit quicker and that bit sharper with their movement and it does take a little bit of time to get used to it, especially having not played a great deal of Premier League football before. 

“I think as a team we’re getting the hang of it and we just need that little bit of luck now to turn the performances into three points.” 

Battling it out with De Laet for the spot on the right side of City’s defence in the Premier League this season is Simpson, who joined from Queens Park Rangers in the summer, and the pair know plenty about each other. 

De Laet added: “Maybe the last year or two years we didn’t really have another out and out right back. Now we’ve got Danny Simpson, who has come in with a lot of Premier League experience and he keeps me on my toes and sharp in training. I just have to keep taking that into games. 

“When I first came onto the scene at Antwerp he was on loan there from Manchester United. Then when I went to Manchester United I was with him for maybe half a season before he moved on to play regular first team football for Newcastle and Queens Park Rangers, which really helped his career.”