- Ayoze Pérez discusses 2021 for Leicester City, including their Emirates FA Cup triumph
- The Foxes lifted the prestigious trophy for the first time in their history in May
- Pérez is hoping to further improve in the New Year
The Spanish forward picked up his first major trophy in England in 2021, lifting the Emirates FA Cup after playing a pivotal role in Youri Tielemans’ winner as he recovered possession of the ball in the Chelsea half before the Belgium international did the rest.
Later came more silverware for the Foxes after a 1-0 success over Manchester City saw them claim the FA Community Shield for only the second time in their history.
Now into 2022, Pérez believes City’s hunger to create more memories for the Blue Army will deliver further trophies to the Football Club.
“It has been a good year, with some great moments and some bad moments as well,” he said. “COVID is still around, which is sad on a wider point, but in terms of football I think the team has progressed well.
“This season hasn’t been the most consistent for us, but there’s still a long way to go and we’ve shown signs of what we can achieve. Hopefully, 2022 will bring us more success and moments to remember.
“We know the importance of the FA Cup in this country – it’s huge. We won it, which made history for Leicester City. It was an unbelievable feeling on the day.
“It’s a moment I’ll never forget, and is definitely one of the highlights of my career. We were also able to lift the Community Shield shortly afterwards, which was another incredible feeling.”
For Pérez, 2021 proved to be his eighth year in England, having moved from Tenerife to Newcastle United in 2014, and he is hoping to further improve when he enters 2022.
“When I first arrived, I didn’t know how long I would be able to stay here,” he said. “I was just enjoying the journey and enjoying my football. It was a dream to play in England and I think I’ve done quite well so far.
“The eight years I’ve spent in England have been fantastic. There have been some ups and downs as you would expect, but I’ve learnt a lot, improved as a footballer and become a better person.
“There has been a big difference since I first arrived. The quality goes up every season, with better players, coaches and managers coming into the league. Everything is constantly improving.
“Every team can attract good players and on a matchday, anyone can beat anyone. It gets tougher every season, but also more exciting and that’s why the Premier League is loved all around the world.”