Albrighton: Everything I’ve Ever Dreamt Of

Having first signed for City in the summer of 2014 following 16 years at boyhood club Aston Villa, Albrighton has played a significant role in all five of his seasons as a Fox.

He was pivotal in the Great Escape, City’s 2015/16 Premier League triumph, a memorable run in the UEFA Champions League campaign and a further two successful seasons in England’s top flight.

“It was totally straight forward,” Albrighton told LCFC TV in an exclusive interview after agreeing a new deal at the Football Club.

“Leicester offered me a deal and I was always going to sign it. I’ve had some good times here and hopefully I can continue to do so.”

While being crowned a champion of England is undoubtedly Albrighton’s biggest career highlight, he says he is proud to have shared in the Club’s recent success across all competitions.

When asked about his stand-out moment, he said: “The obvious answer is winning the Premier League, but in fairness, this is my fifth season now and there hasn’t been a dull moment yet.

“The year we stayed up was a bit of a rollercoaster year for myself personally, and for it to finish so well was incredible. The following year, we won the league, which speaks for itself. The following year after that, the Champions League campaign was amazing.

“That’s what I want to do, I want to play European football again. We enjoyed it so much that year and it would be great to be in another European competition.”

Already a fans’ favourite after some industrious performances in 2014/15 and 2015/16, Albrighton etched his name into City’s history books after scoring their first ever goal in the UEFA Champions League.

“The first goal [against Club Brugge], everyone talks about that now,” continued Albrighton. “It’s a question I get asked a lot – ‘how did it feel?’.

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“I know people have got shirts with the date of the game and the game itself printed on. I’ve had to sign a few of them in the last couple of years!

“For me to score a goal that meant so much to people and to the Club is a great honour for me.”

The Tamworth-born wideman made his professional debut in February 2009, and admitted that leaving Aston Villa in 2014 proved to be hard to deal with.

However, he quickly found his feet at City, playing in six of the seven victories that ultimately retained their Premier League status and created a foundation for an unthinkable achievement a year later.

“When I left Villa, obviously, I’d grown up there and it was all I’d ever known,” said Albrighton. “When I got told I wasn’t getting a new deal there, it was a tough time for me.

“I think you just have to ask my family that I was a nightmare for a couple of weeks until Leicester. I signed here and even still, I didn’t think in my wildest teams I’d be able to achieve what I have achieved here.

“It was obviously a bit of risky move because Leicester had just been promoted. The possibility that they could go back down was daunting. I looked at the squad and I looked at the Club itself, and thought ‘that’s where I want to play my football’.

“I could see myself fitting nicely into that dressing room and into a family club. It’s proved to be every bit I’ve dreamt of.”

Albrighton saw many of his own values in Leicester City when while signing for the Football Club, and emphasised its locality as an important factor in that decision.

“When I first signed, I looked at the squad that was in the dressing room and the Club itself in terms of its fanbase and what sort of club it was,” the No.11 explains. “It was a family club back then and it’s a family club now. It’s something that suits me down to the ground.

“It really fits in well with me as a person and it was the perfect fit for me. The decision to come here was a no-brainer for me. I’m still local and I’m still able to live at home around the people that have supported me throughout.

“That’s crucial for me, to be able to go back to them. That was a big factor in my decision when I came here. When I come here every day to train, it’s as good a feeling to be around such great people with great traditions.”

Albrighton’s team-mates and the Club’s staff have also played their role in his success as a Foxes star, who praised the longevity of many of his colleagues.

The 29-year-old said: “You can go in on a Monday morning, and whether you’ve won 4-0 or lost 4-0, you’ll still get the same people saying the same things and treating you the same way. You’ve still got the local people working for the Club.

“It’s not gone like a lot of clubs have, where they’re hiring people from abroad where they don’t really know what the Club means. But this club has got the originals – people that have been here 30-plus years.

“To still have that in this day and age is fantastic. Like I said, you can go in on a Monday morning no matter the result at the weekend. You can still have an honest, normal conversation with people around the place.”

Albrighton knows he is in a privileged position, having fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming a professional footballer. That dream is now set to continue at Leicester City Football Club.

“Every day I wake up feeling fortunate to be able to do the thing that I love, and that’s playing football,” he added. “When I was a five-year-old kid, all I wanted to do was play football, whether it was in the house or the garden, or in my bedroom.

“No matter where I was, I was playing football and to be able to do that on a daily basis is a dream for me.

“To be able to do it for so long, I just count myself fortunate and I enjoy every minute of it. Long may it continue.”