Rodgers’ Special Words For Morgan, Fuchs & James
- Manager Brendan Rodgers discusses the departures of three key Leicester City players
- Wes Morgan, Christian Fuchs and Matty James will all leave the Club this summer
- Rodgers says Morgan has an ‘iconic status’ at the Foxes
- Fuchs’ professionalism was praised by Rodgers
- Rodgers credited James for the role he played in helping establish Leicester City in the Premier League
Morgan will call time on his playing career having lifted the Premier League, Emirates FA Cup and Sky Bet Championship trophies as a Fox, captaining the Club during the most successful decade in its 137-year history. Fuchs and James, meanwhile, will no doubt continue their professional journeys.
When asked about the departing trio during his pre-Tottenham Hotspur press conference, Rodgers spoke of their professionalism and ability, as well as their roles in helping establish the Club in the top flight - and even win it.
First addressing Morgan’s retirement, Rodgers said: “To have played over 750 games, to not have played top-flight football until he was 30 years of age, and to have won three trophies, he has iconic status here. He played over 400 games for Nottingham Forest as well.
"He’ll always be a legend of this club and the captain who picked up the title in an amazing story.
“It’s a remarkable career, but sadly it comes to an end. He’s an amazing guy, but I’ve got to say, in the time I’ve been here, it was important for me to keep him here. I felt he might not play as much as he’s done throughout his career, but certainly he was going to be an important figure for the changing room and for the mentality of the Club.
“He’s been everything and more. It’s a sad day when someone who’s been playing football since they’ve been six/seven years of age calls it a day now at the age of 37. He’ll always retain an association with the Club going forward. He’s an amazing guy and a brilliant player.”
Rodgers says former Austria skipper Fuchs has also been a valuable asset during his time as City manager, citing his leadership abilities as qualities that youngsters at the Club are able to aspire to.
Fuchs won two major trophies during his time at King Power Stadium, and also represented the Club in both the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.
“Christian, he came to Leicester City as a free transfer from Schalke,” Rodgers said of the 35-year-old. “He played a huge role in the title-winning season, and similarly to Wes, he had an important role for me.
“These guys are very much about what this club is about, and Christian, I’ve got to say, whether he’s played or not, he’s an incredible professional. He’s very focused, he’s the type of guy that I want around to install the right energy and attitude into a lot of our younger players.
“He never has an easy day in training and he’s just a really, really good person. He’s got more games in his legs, but sadly, it’ll be his last day training tomorrow.”
While Rodgers was not able to work alongside midfielder James in as much detail as Morgan and Fuchs, the Northern Irishman could see a clear footballing ability, and pointed to his performances while out on loan at Barnsley and Coventry City as evidence of that.
James was a key member of the Club’s 2013/14 Championship-winning side, and also featured significantly in the 2014/15 Great Escape season.
“I’m so pleased for Matty because when I came in, it was obviously so difficult for him in terms of injuries,” Rodgers said. “He’s a player that played a huge part in what is known here as the Great Escape – that team that stayed in the division and allowed the Club to continue to build.
“Matty sees the game from the very highest level. His education at Manchester United as a young player has seen him go on and have an outstanding career. He’s just been unfortunate in my time here, especially early on, where he had those niggly injuries.
“I’m so happy for him that he was able to go out this season. He’s played nearly 40 games in the Championship over the course of the last season and I will miss him like the others because he’s such an honest guy, a good guy, a funny guy and a very, very talented player.”