Ryan Bertrand Signs For Leicester City
- Experienced defender signs for the Foxes on a free transfer
- The 31-year-old joins after seven seasons with Southampton
- Bertrand made 240 appearances for the Saints in seven seasons
- He has signed a two-year deal at King Power Stadium
The 31-year-old joins the Foxes on a free transfer after seven seasons with Southampton, where he made 240 appearances in all competitions.
An England international with 19 caps, Bertrand made his top-flight debut as a Chelsea player, where he would help the team lift the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and Emirates FA Cup.
Speaking to LCFC.com, he said: “I’m really happy to be here; joining Leicester really complemented my inner ambitions and what I still want to achieve in my career.
“Leicester have built something amazing over the years, especially since Brendan Rodgers has come in. It’s fantastic to be a part of this fantastic club and I’m going to give my all to try and do the fans proud.”
'Leicester Have Built Something Amazing'
New Leicester City signing Ryan Bertrand sits down with LCFC TV after agreeing a two-year contract with the Club.
Born in Southwark in London, Bertrand joined Gillingham at the age of nine and progressed through their youth system, before signing for Chelsea in 2005.
He spent his first four-and-a-half seasons on loan at AFC Bournemouth, Oldham Athletic, Norwich City, Reading and Nottingham Forest, before making his Premier League debut for Chelsea in April 2011 - a 3-1 win against Birmingham City.
The following campaign, he made 15 appearances for the West London side in all competitions, becoming the first player in the UEFA Champions League era to make his debut in the final. He helped Chelsea to a 4-3 penalty shootout win over Bayern Munich, securing his second major trophy, after the Blues won the FA Cup a week earlier.
In 2012/13, he featured for The Blues 37 times, scoring once, in a season that saw him secure earn a third major title, the UEFA Europa League, after Chelsea beat Benfica 2-1 in Amsterdam - with Bertrand making eight appearances in the run to the final.
Bertrand spent the majority of the 2013/14 campaign on loan at Aston Villa, before a loan spell at Southampton the following year that was made permanent midway through the season.
Including his initial loan spell, he made 240 appearances for The Saints in all competitions, scoring eight goals and was also named in the PFA Team of the Year in 2015.
On the international stage, he has represented England at every youth level from the under-17s and made his senior debut in a friendly against Italy in August 2012. He has 19 caps to his name and was part of the squad for UEFA EURO 2016.
Bertrand now links up with his Leicester City teammates as they prepare for their third full Premier League campaign under manager Brendan Rodgers.