Leicester City midfielder Dennis Praet has revealed that the team’s style of play under Brendan Rodgers was a deciding factor in his decision to move to the East-Midlands.
The Belgian international joined the club during the summer from Serie A outfit Sampdoria and during his time on the peninsula was described by his former boss Eusebio Di Francesco as “one of the best midfielders in Italy”.
Speaking to the club’s official website, Praet said: “The style of football was very important for me. It’s a theme that suits my mind – a style of football that wants to play with dominance in the game, create a lot of chances with a lot of possession and that’s what Leicester is at the moment. Of course, that suits me.”
Are Leicester City now ready to compete for Europe's top-talents?
Yes
No
The 25-year-old signed a contract until 2024 and has been reunited with his former Anderlecht teammate Youri Tielemans.
TIF Tactics – A match made in heaven
Praet is best known for his passing ability and vision. He’s a player who enjoys dictating play and supplying those further forward therefore Rodgers’ free-flowing, attacking philosophy suits his mindset perfectly.
The Belgian made over 100 appearances in Serie A during his time with Sampdoria which, whilst isn’t as prestigious as it was in the mid-to-late ’90s, is still regarded as one of Europe’s elite leagues.
Despite his strong experience, the competition at Leicester City is tough and it’s safe to say Praet is still finding his feet in the Premier League.
He’s only made the starting eleven in 23% of Leicester’s league fixtures this season and is yet to open his goalscoring account or provide an assist but despite that, the general feeling around Praet’s arrival is a positive one and in time he’s expected to settle and display the qualities that brought him to the clubs attention in the first place.