Wilfred Ndidi Breaks JJ Okocha’s Premier League Record After Performance for Leicester

Wilfred Ndidi Breaks JJ Okocha’s Premier League Record After Performance for Leicester

  • Wilfred Ndidi starred for Leicester City in their 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park
  • Steve Cooper deployed the defensive midfielder by trade in an attack behind striker Jamie Vardy
  • The Super Eagles star excelled in the position, surpassing compatriot Austin JJ Okocha's numbers

Wilfred Ndidi starred for Leicester City in an attacking role in their 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, surpassing the numbers of a former Nigerian star.

Manager Steve Cooper deployed Ndidi, a defensive midfielder by trade, in an attacking position behind striker Jamie Vardy, and he proved his versatility.

Wilfred Ndidi in action for Leicester City against Crystal Palace.
Wilfred Ndidi provided two assists for Leicester City in their 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace. Photo by Plumb Images.
Source: Getty Images

The Super Eagles midfielder assisted the veteran forward for the opening goal in the first half before setting up Stephy Mavididi to make it 2-0 in the second half.

Palace fought back through French striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who scored twice, including a late goal in the additional minutes of the second half to rescue a point.

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Ndidi breaks Okocha’s record

As noted by Soar Super Eagles, Ndidi did not feel out of place despite playing in an unfamiliar position. He provided two assists and created four chances.

Regardless of his brilliance in attack, he posted high defensive numbers, including eight duels, three tackles and one interception for an all-round performance.

According to Soccernet, his two assists take his Premier League tally to 12, surpassing the 10 provided by compatriot Austin Jay-Jay Okocha during his entertaining Premier League career.

Okocha achieved his number in 125 league games, while it took Ndidi 196 appearances, most of which came in defensive midfield and centre-back.

The attacking midfielder spent four seasons in the Premier League with Bolton Wanderers, while the Lagos-born attacker is in his sixth season in the English top flight.

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Eguavoen crafts new role for Ndidi

Legit.ng reported that Augustine Eguavoen pushed Ndidi into a more attacking role for the Super Eagles during the September international games.

The interim head coach adopted a 4-3-3 formation and pushed the defensive midfielder to the right side of the three-man midfield, a more advanced position.

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Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Elijah Odetokun avatar

Elijah Odetokun (Sports Editor) Elijah Odetokun is a Nigerian sports editor at Legit NG. He has four years of working experience having previously worked at Daily Times Nigeria (August 2020 - September 2020), OmaSports (December 2020 - June 2021), El Futbolero (July 2021; September 2021- November 2021), and Sports Brief (November 2022 - July 2024). He is a press conference and interview specialist and has attended trainings held by Reuters, AIPS, and FIJ. He holds a Bachelor of Agriculture (2021) from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. Reach me via elijah.odetokun@sportsbrief.com