Harry Diamond
Darren Fletcher has hailed ‘magnificent’ Brendan Rodgers and tipped Leicester to achieve ‘something fantastic’ under the manager’s leadership.
Leicester City have begun the new season in impressive fashion, losing just once in their opening seven fixtures with Sunday’s 5-0 thrashing of Newcastle United at the King Power Stadium lifting the Foxes back to third in the Premier League.
Rodgers has been praised for getting the best from his exciting young side, while experienced stars such as Jamie Vardy and Kasper Schmeichel continue to shine.
Former Scotland international Fletcher has hailed Rodgers’ impact since his arrival from Celtic last season, and believes Leicester have all the ingredients to continue their fine recent form.
“Leicester have a spine of the team that is experienced – in Jonny Evans, Jamie Vardy and Kasper Schmeichel in goal. They have proven winners and young and exciting talent around them,” Fletcher told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“They could achieve something fantastic like breaking into the top four quite easily.”
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Rodgers returned to the Premier League last season after a trophy-laden spell in Scottish football at Celtic, with the 46-year-old keen to test himself in England’s top flight once more following his 2015 departure from Liverpool.
Fletcher believes Rodgers will have identified the potential in Leicester’s talented but youthful squad before deciding to leave Celtic Park, and believes the Northern Irishman’s tactical approach and ability to improve players makes him the perfect candidate to bring success to the club.
“He would’ve seen the players [before taking the job] and thought ‘I can work with the squad and make them better’,” he added.
“He would have thought ‘I can improve all these young players and they will buy into what I want to do’. Not only is he a magnificent tactician, he improves every player tactically and mentally, but he also cares for them.
“Every player I’ve spoken to – I know a lot of them from Celtic and some from Swansea and Liverpool – they said they loved working with him because he cared for them and worked to help them and make them better.
“I met a scout from Leicester and he said it was the first time a manager had come up to them, introduced themselves, spent five minutes with them and asked what he was up to.
“His [Rodgers’] people skills around the place, he is doing all this around the club. Receptionists, as you come into the door, they’re enjoying their job because the manager is taking time to speak to them.”
Read: Rodgers looking forward to his first return to Anfield
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