Ranieri’s Praise For Adaptive Musa

- The Leicester City manager says the striker is beginning to understand the challenges of playing in England 

- Ranieri believes the 24-year-old is beginning to build in confidence 

- The City boss was also impressed with Wilfred Ndidi’s debut performance 

Having spent three decades as a football manager, Claudio Ranieri knows just how difficult it can be for a player to adapt after joining a new club. 

The 65-year-old Italian, , has taken charge of 14 clubs across Europe and has had at his disposal plenty of talented forwards along the way – for Ranieri, Ahmed Musa, 24, is no doubt one of those. 

A proven goalscorer with CSKA Moscow in Russia, on Saturday showed signs of the qualities that he has to offer to the City squad. 

For his first goal, his run and finish at the front post was only thwarted by a well-timed challenge from Leighton Baines, but the Nigeria international was on hand to tuck the loose ball away. 

Just four minutes later, he had his second as a result of a brilliant one-two with Danny Drinkwater – a brace that Ranieri believes the striker must now build on. 

“There are players who immediately do well and others need to understand,” Ranieri said after watching his side come from behind to beat Everton 2-1 in the Emirates FA Cup. 

“Musa has a lot of qualities. He scored a lot of goals in Russia. Now, it’s important for him to keep going and maintain this momentum. 

“In the last month I saw him in training sessions and he did very well. He scored two goals and I hope now he’s getting better and getting more confident.” 

Musa’s international team-mate Wilfred Ndidi, who only signed for the Club two days before making his debut, also received praise from Ranieri, who felt the central midfielder put in a . 

“He’s a different character with a different position,” said Ranieri of City new boy Ndidi. “I love the players who recover the ball and pass straight away forward. 

“For the first time, 20 years-old against Everton, who are one of the bigger teams in the Premier League, he played very well. We need a player like him.”