Wilfred Ndidi
Premier League Headlines
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Allan Saint-Maximin shares insight on life at Magpies !!
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How Wilfred Ndidi balances academic and professional growth at same time !!
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What advise has Unai Emery given to Xhaka ?
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Premier League Headlines ( In Details )
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How Wilfred Ndidi balances academic and professional growth at same time !!
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Embed from Getty Images
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Wilfried Ndidi has revealed how he never switches off, either on the pitch or away from it. When his team-mates disperse at the end of a training session, Ndidi makes the two-mile journey from the club’s Belvoir Drive base to De Montfort University, where he is studying for a degree in business and tourism.
Ndidi said ” I have spare time, so instead of sitting and playing FIFA, it’s good to understand the four walls of schooling. When I was 12 or 13 I left home to further my football career and, while I kept up my studies, I always wanted to continue my education later in life. I go for one-on-one sessions with a lecturer and I’ve recently done an exam, involving a project and a presentation. I got 63 per cent in the presentation and 65 per cent in the project. I’m really happy that De Montfort have been able to help. I want to understand the outside world of business and I have a plan to build a school, similar to Aspire in Qatar (a sports academy that also provides secondary education). In Nigeria some players want to play football and then they forget about school. But if you do both you can continue with whichever one works out, instead of just hoping for football, football — and then you don’t make it. All my life I wanted to play football and this is my career now but there was pressure from my dad not to go that way because he wanted me to stay at school. He was not convinced I was doing the right thing until he first saw me on television, playing for the Under 17 national team. The population of Nigeria is massive and it is so hard to make the grade as a footballer, so I have a clear vision of a place where you can play football and study, either in Lagos or Abuja. I have spoken to my godfather about making it happen. If kids don’t make it in football, I want them to think they can get a degree and work, instead of roaming the streets.’
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Premier League Museum Editor Notes: When PREMIER LEAGUE FANS see players like Mario Balotelli, Joey Barton and Serge Aurier doing stupid things on and off the pitch, you may think football players are all brawn and no brains. But this is not the case; there are well-behaved players who proved the stereotype wrong with their passion for education. Wilfried Ndidi has definitely proven to the latter. When Claudio Ranieri signed Ndidi from Genk, he believed in the player as a perfect replacement of N’Golo Kante who had joined Chelsea after title winning season. Since then Ndidi has played an outstanding role at the base of Leicester’s midfield with his relentless pressing game, combative tackling skills and high work-rate. His reliability has allowed full-backs Ricardo Pereira and Ben Chilwell to bomb forward and Maddison to work on creating chances and affecting attacks. Ndidi is one of talented professionals who have proved the stereotype wrong with their passion for education. Examples being
- Andrey Arshavin – Degree in Fashion Design
- Juan Mata – Degree in Sports Science and Finance
- Frank Lampard – Degree in Latin.
- Nedum Onuoha – Degree in ICT
- Steve Harper – Degree in Social Sciences
- Iain Dowie – Degree in Aeronautical engineering
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Allan Saint-Maximin shares insight on life at Magpies !!
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Embed from Getty Images
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Allan Saint-Maximin cleared his heart in front of media and tv cameras about himself and life at Newcastle United club so far. The player covered various topics which included Premier League experience, lack of goals, fans, team mates and his personal ambitions.
Allan Saint-Maximin said ” Life in Newcastle is not same like Nice. I like the city. It’s a small city but you have everything here. I prefer to be in Newcastle with a lot of fans in the stadium because my job is to play football than live in Nice – good weather but not a lot of people in the stadium. Premier League is amazing. It’s not the same – it’s what I say always, in France it’s really different. If you lose one-zero, they don’t go for two, three, four five. If they can lose one-zero, it’s one-zero. But here, it’s really different because everyone runs everywhere and they want to score again, and again. If Newcastle can be a great club, I can stay – no problem. I want to do everything for Newcastle. Steve said to me the club will do great things and the team will do much better and buy players every year. I think this is good. If they stay like this I don’t have to move because I feel good even if it is really cold! It’s really good in your head when you are somewhere and you know you can be bigger.”
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Premier League Museum Editor Notes: Newcastle is famous for its nightlife and one travel guide about Britain has even named a night out in Newcastle as Britain’s best tourist attraction! There are lots and lots of bars, clubs and restaurants all within walking distance of each other. You will definitely not be bored on a Saturday night in Newcastle city centre. Newcastle locals, or Geordies, are known for being a bit insane, hard to understand, and extremely passionate. They are a direct reflection of the city, a cold, gritty place with a large working class population. Newcastle United football club in recent years has proven to be a popular destination for French players. Below are some popular players to play for them
- David Ginola – French Player of the Year in 1993-94
- Yohan Cabaye – midfielder signed June 2011 from Lille
- Moussa Sissoko – midfielder signed January 2013 from Toulouse
- Hatem Ben Arfa – midfielder signed permanently in January 2011 after loan spell from Marseille
- Gabriel Obertan – midfielder signed August 2011 from Manchester United
- Mathieu Debuchy – defender signed January 2013 from Lille
- Loic Remy – striker signed August 2013 on a season-long loan from QPR
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What advise has Unai Emery given to Xhaka ?
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Arsenal boss Unai Emery has urged Granit Xhaka to learn from Hector Bellerin’s example in his battle to win back the support of the club’s fans. The Switzerland international had an angry outburst towards supporters as he was substituted against Crystal Palace in a game.
Emery said “The most important thing is to achieve the individual performance through the team. If we can connect with our supporters, we can show at home good quality, individually, we are going to do better. He can come back showing his commitment, his good behaviour, his good performance, helping and defending Arsenal. He’s a good guy. He’s a good player. He loves and respects Arsenal a lot. In current situation, I’m going to do it giving him a good feeling with us, training, playing – it could be at home or it could be away. For me, the most important thing is to improve the performance collectively and then help individuals to feel better and be efficient when they are playing. Hector Bellerin told me two weeks ago he struggled here with the supporters sometimes when his performance wasn’t the best, sometimes playing with the team at the Emirates or away. We have some other players where this situation has happened. And they come back. With Xhaka, I want to do the same”.
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Premier League Museum Editor Notes: Football is a global popularity contest. Those who win hearts and minds of spectators, whether it is through their talent, application or charismatic personality, will command loyalty and respect even if they make the worst indiscretions. Players who have never delivered or built a rapport with supporters will always find it tougher if they step out of line. For players like Xhaka,it means when they make a genuine mistake , the reaction will be louder than usual. There are various ways in past where players have built a strong relationship with fans and one of them is avoiding director’s box and sitting with fans in planes, stadiums or a local pub.
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