Leicester City Premier League Fixtures, Squad, Guide
The 2016 Premier League champions had a quiet campaign by their standards last season. They will be hoping that Claude Puel can inject some attacking sparkle to their overall game – even though Riyad Mahrez is no longer part of it. The club have been busy this summer, signing midfielder James Maddison (Norwich City, £25m), defender Jonny Evans (West Brom, £3.5m) and Portugal defender Ricardo Pereira (Porto, £17.5m).
Annual wage bill – £113m (2017)
Annual income – £233m (2017)
Stadium King Power (32,500)
Odds – 150/1 to win Premier League
FAN’S VIEW
Gary Silke
LAST SEASON WAS…
The first season for a long time that didn’t really set the pulse racing. Following on from 2013-14 when City cantered to the Championship table; 2014-15 when they escaped Houdini-like from a seemingly inevitable relegation; 2015-16 which saw them storm to the Premier League title at 5,000-1, and 2016-17 when a place in the Champions League quarter-finals was reached, this one was spent largely in eighth place, with frustration among supporters that seventh and Europe should have been within reach.
OUR BIGGEST HERO
Harry Maguire was a great buy last summer and has been superb at the back for City. He has won Player of the Season for the last five seasons at Sheffield United, Hull City and Leicester. That says it all.
OUR BIGGEST VILLAIN
Hard to look beyond Riyad Mahrez, who withdrew his services after a move to Manchester City didn’t happen in January. His move in July meant the fairytale of Mahrez at Leicester had a sad ending.
YOUNGSTER TO WATCH
Hamza Choudhury is an up-and- coming midfielder who made a few appearances last season during a midfield injury crisis. Not enough talent has come through the City Academy in recent years.
MOST UNDERRATED PLAYER
Danny Simpson plays to the best of his ability every game, though his position is under threat as we appear to be moving towards wing-backs and he can’t go over the halfway line.
Danny Simpson was an underrated player last year (Getty Images)
HOPES & FEARS FOR 2018-19
Hoping that Claude Puel will try a more adventurous brand of football with his own coaches and players in place; fearing he won’t! There was some excruciatingly dull football towards the end of the season, but a fine 3-1 win over Arsenal gave us some hope.
Leicester City Premier League Squad
Name Age/d.o.b. Signed/prev club
GOALKEEPERS
Eldin Jakupovic (Swi) (33) 02.10.84 2017 / Hull City
Kasper Schmeichel (Den) (31) 05.11.86 2011 / Leeds United
Danny Ward (Wal) (25) 22.07.1993 2018 / Liverpool
DEFENDERS
Yohan Benalouane (Tun) (31) 28.03.87 2015 / Atalanta (Ita)
Ben Chilwell (21) 21.12.96 2010 / youth
Callum Elder (Aus) (23) 23.01.95 2011 / Manly United (Aus)
Johnny Evans (NI) (30) 03.01.88 2018 / West Brom
Christian Fuchs (Aut) (32) 07.04.86 2015 / Schalke (Ger)
Josh Knight (20) 07.09.97 2014 / youth
Harry Maguire (25) 05.03.93 2017 / Hull City
Wes Morgan (Jam) (34) 21.01.84 2012 / Nottingham Forest
Ricardo Pereira (Por) (24) 06.10.93 2018 / Porto (Por)
Danny Simpson (31) 04.01.87 2014 / QPR
Filip Benkovic (21) 13.07.1997 2018 / Dinamo Zagreb
Caglar Soyuncu (Tur) (22) 23.05.1996 2018 / SC Freiburg
MIDFIELDERS
Marc Albrighton (28) 18.11.89 2014 / Aston Villa
Daniel Amartey (Gha) (23) 21.12.94 2016 / Copenhagen (Den)
Harvey Barnes (20) 09.12.97 2007 / youth
Hamza Choudhury (20) 01.10.97 2011 / youth
Demarai Gray (22) 28.06.96 2016 / Birmingham City
Vicente Iborra (Spa) (30) 16.01.88 2017 / Sevilla (Spa)
Matty James (27) 22.07.91 2012 / Manchester United
Bartosz Kapustka (Pol) (21) 23.12.96 2016 / Cracovia (Pol)
Andy King (Wal) (29) 29.10.88 2004 / Chelsea
James Maddison (21) 23.11.96 2018 / Norwich City
Nampalys Mendy (Fra) (26) 23.06.92 2016 / Nice (Fra)
Wilfred Ndidi (Nga) (21) 16.12.96 2017 / Genk (Blg)
Adrien Silva (Por) (29) 15.03.89 2017 / Sporting (Por)
George Thomas (Wal) (21) 24.03.97 2017 / Coventry City
Rachid Ghezzal (Alg) 26 09.05.1992 2018 / Monaco
FORWARDS
Fousseni Diabate (Mli) (22) 18.10.95 2018 / GFC Ajaccio (Fra)
Kelechi Iheanacho (Nga) (21) 03.10.96 2017 / Manchester City
Shinji Okazaki (Jap) (32) 16.04.86 2015 / Mainz (Ger)
Islam Slimani (Alg) (30) 18.06.88 2016 / Sporting (Por)
Leonardo Ulloa (Arg) (32) 26.07.86 2014 / Brighton & HA
Jamie Vardy (31) 11.01.87 2012 / Fleetwood Town
MANAGER
Claude Puel (Fra) (56) 02.09.61 2017 / Southampton
Claude Puel is contracted until 2020 (Getty Images)
Leicester City Premier League Fixtures
Aug 10 Man Utd (a) – lost 2-1
Aug 18 Wolves (h) – won 2-0
Aug 25 Southampton (a) – won 2-1
Sep 1 Liverpool (h) – lost 2-1
Sep 15 Bournemouth (a) – lost 4-2
Sep 22 Huddersfield (h) -won 3-1
Sep 29 Newcastle (a) – won 2-0
Oct 6 Everton (h) – lost 2-1
Oct 20 Arsenal (a) – lost 3-1
Oct 27 West Ham (h) – drew 1-1
Nov 3 Cardiff (a) – won 1-0
Nov 10 Burnley (h)
Nov 24 Brighton (a)
Dec 1 Watford (h)
Dec 4 Fulham (a)
Dec 8 Tottenham (h)
Dec 15 Crystal Palace (a)
Dec 22 Chelsea (a)
Dec 26 Man City (h)
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Dec 29 Cardiff (h)
Jan 1 Everton (a)
Jan 12 Southampton (h)
Jan 19 Wolves (a)
Jan 30 Liverpool (a)
Feb 2 Man Utd (h)
Feb 9 Tottenham (a)
Feb 23 Crystal Palace (h)
Feb 26 Brighton (h)
Mar 2 Watford (a)
Mar 9 Fulham (h)
Mar 16 Burnley (a)
Mar 30 Bournemouth (h)
Apr 6 Huddersfield (a)
Apr 13 Newcastle (h)
Apr 20 West Ham (a)
Apr 27 Arsenal (h)
May 4 Man City (a)
May 12 Chelsea (h)
