Celebrating Ndidi’s City Career Highlights
Arriving from Belgium side Genk, the 25-year-old quickly became a mainstay in City’s midfield, playing 191 matches for the Club across all competitions, scoring 10 times. The fact that 180 of those were starts demonstrates the Lagos native’s importance to the team.
Some key goals have come Ndidi’s way, opening up the 2019/20 season with a header in a draw with Chelsea, which saw him show character to level matters after being dispossessed for the London outfit's opener. He also netted against the Blues in January 2021, during a 2-0 victory over the capital club. An even bigger success over the west Londoners would be attained later that year.
Rather than goals, though, the combative Nigerian is known much more for his imposing presence in the middle of the park, characterising the Foxes’ never-say-die attitude. Ndidi has made more tackles than any other Leicester player in every full season he has been at the Club, a list he also tops midway through this term with 47 to his name.
In 2017/18 and 2018/19, no other Premier League player came close to his number of tackles. In fact, he has remained within the top six players in the league for tackles ever since.
It was in the FA Cup that Ndidi made his Leicester bow, on 7 January, 2017, and it was a winning start to life at the Club, triumphing 2-1 over Everton in the third round. That competition would also provide the Nigeria international with his first goal in English football, the following month.
Coming off the bench in extra-time, a long-range effort – just four minutes after his introduction – put the hosts back into the lead against Midlands rivals Derby County and ensured progression into the fifth round.
The midfielder has also showed his adaptability to move into a centre back role across recent seasons, when required, including on the opening day of the 2020/21 campaign, maintaining a clean sheet in a 3-0 away triumph at West Bromwich Albion.
Most recently against Liverpool, the former Genk star was, due to injuries and illness, deployed in a defensive role alongside Daniel Amartey and the makeshift backline produced an admirable performance to keep the Reds out and earn a morale-boosting victory. City are the only team in the Premier League this season that have registered a shutout against Jürgen Klopp's men.
The highlight of his career to date, though, came on 15 May, 2021, as Leicester City lifted England's most prestigious cup competition for the first time in their history, defeating Chelsea 1-0. It was fitting that, after providing his debut and maiden goal for the Club, the FA Cup would also deliver his first trophy.
Ndidi played from start to finish on that special day at Wembley Stadium, alongside midfield partner and goalscorer Youri Tielemans and will always be remembered as a part of that history-making, FA Cup-winning team. He went on to play a role in the FA Community Shield win at the same venue, overcoming Manchester City three months later.