RIYAD MAHREZ has spoken for the first time about his failure to nail his dream move for the second summer in a row.
But the ambitious Algerian assured new boss Claude Puel his head is in the right place now …. and so is he!
The 26-year-old winger was voted the best player in England by his fellow pros two summers ago and has made it clear he wanted to play at a higher level ever since. But alleged interest from Arsenal never materialised and London rivals Spurs and Chelsea never made any attempt to woo the winger either. That’s why, when Pep Guardiola’s table-topping Manchester City arrive at the King Power today, Mahrez will still be wearing royal, rather than sky blue.
Mahrez says he doesn’t have a problem with that and has rediscovered his mojo under Puel, who will talk to him now and then in his native French. “I am settled, I’ve always been settled,” insisted Leicester’s in-form frontman. “Of course I wanted a new challenge, but it didn’t happen and that’s okay.
“I wasn’t disappointed for myself because I love this club and I have been through everything with this club. “We won the League, we were in the Champions’ League and we got safety in the last two games in our first year in the Premier League.
“I went from the Championship to the Premier League and Champions’ League with this club – everything with this club! I am very confident here and I feel good.” The Foxes made a sluggish start to the season and their stuttering performances saw Craig Shakespeare swiftly sacked.
However they are in much better shape as they prepare to lock horns with City today, unbeaten in their last six and with three wins from their last four games. Puel kicked off his era with a convincing home win over Everton before drawing at Stoke and Mahrez said: “Claude Puel has had a good impact. We have won some games and now we need to keep it going. “It’s difficult to have a big impact in just a couple of weeks but he’s trying to give us his ideas on how to play. He is calm. He speaks in the dressing-room and in training he is good for us.
“We’ve been training hard and Manchester City on Saturday is a good test for us. They play very good football. They are first in the League and have won nearly every game. They don’t have a lot of weaknesses! “But I think we can beat them. In the last two years we beat them twice and we will try to beat them again. “We are at home, we are confident, we will give it 100%. We have good wingers and can cause problems to a lot of teams.”
Puel has trusted Mahrez to come inside and play as a number 10 more than previously, with Demarai Gray picking up plaudits on the wing.
“Demarai brings us something else,” said Mahrez, who knows a thing or two about the role himself. “He’s fast, young, has great skills and can score. I hope Dimi continues to help the team.”
From The Sun
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