Leicester City great Jamie Vardy has named his all-time best XI during his time at the club, and surprisingly left out long-time teammate Wilfred Ndidi.
The 38-year-old forward, who will leave the Foxes at the end of the season, picked a team dominated by players from the 2015/16 title-winning side, with just one exception, Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans.
“Goalkeeper, I'd go Kasper [Schmeichel],” Vardy told the club’s official channel. “Back four, I think… speaks for itself really. I'd have Simmo [Danny Simpson] right-back, Big Wes and Huthy [Wes Morgan and Robert Huth] centre-half and Fuchsy [Christian Fuchs] at left-back.
“I'd then go three in midfield, I think I'd have [N'Golo] Kante sitting, with Danny Drinkwater and Youri Tielemans in front. And then on the left, Marc Albrighton, on the right, Riyad [Mahrez] and up front, yeah, I'll go with myself.”
Why was Wilfred Ndidi left out of Jamie Vardy’s Leicester XI?
Ndidi, who joined Leicester in January 2017 from Genk, was widely expected to be a shoo-in after years of consistent performance in midfield.
The Nigerian quickly became the heartbeat of the team post-title triumph, dominating tackling statistics for three straight Premier League seasons and providing defensive stability across several managerial spells. However, his contributions were not enough to earn a spot in Vardy’s ideal XI.
Instead, Vardy opted for a midfield trio of N’Golo Kante, Danny Drinkwater, and Tielemans. It’s a selection that raises questions, especially considering Ndidi has made more tackles (704), interceptions (393), and possession recoveries in the middle third (838) than any other Premier League midfielder since his debut.
Vardy’s selection leans heavily into the emotional resonance of the title-winning squad, while Tielemans who scored the winner in Leicester’s 2021 FA Cup triumph, edges into the mix. That leaves Ndidi, despite seven years of consistency and leadership in midfield, watching from the sidelines.
Whether it’s down to personal preference, sentimentality, or just the sheer weight of that 2016 fairytale, the exclusion of the Super Eagles midfielder raises eyebrows.
