Guppy & Taggart: International Focus
- Gerry Taggart and Steve Guppy discuss Leicester City’s international stars ahead of the international break
- The former Leicester duo gave their thoughts on LCFC Radio’s Extra-Time show
- As many as 14 Foxes could be in action over the international break
Up to 14 City players could potentially be in action over the coming days, with 11 of those hailing from the Club’s first team set up.
Taggart, a former Northern Ireland international with 51 caps and seven goals to his name, says he often enjoyed the time he spent away with his nation.
“I always looked forward to going away on international duty,” said Taggart. “We had a really good set of lads, so it was always great to see some friends and some people that I grew up with since I was a teenager.
“Neil Lennon and Michael Hughes, I’ve known them since we were kids. It was always good, especially with Lenny playing here – we didn’t have to go far. With the other lads as well, it was always good to meet up and concentrate on playing for Northern Ireland.
“To be honest with you, there wasn’t a lot going on at the Club. It’s a bit like a ghost town when there’s international football on. In our time, there was that many internationals, maybe 10 or 11, who were always away.”
Guppy, meanwhile, believes that with many City players targeting appearances at next summer’s UEFA 2020 European Championship finals, the onus will be on performing for their countries before they return to the Club next week.
Guppy added: “It’s incredible the amount of England players alone that Leicester have. When they are away, you tend to get a bit of time off, or you come in and you get a chance to maybe work on your own game, which is good as well.
“Every player is different. I do think the lads that do go away forget about your club football, because a lot of the teams are trying to qualify for the Euros, which is a major tournament.
“It would be an incredible life experience for them to make it there. They’re all really keen to do well for their countries.”