During the 2015/16 season, Leicester unexpectedly triumphed and brought the Premier League title home, much to the surprise of everyone. At the beginning of the year there had been some betting companies offering 5000/1 odds of this exact feat, something a few diehard fans took advantage of. That season brought about some impressive stars that continued to light up the Premier League in subsequent seasons, even if they did move on from Leicester. So now it is time to take a look at some key stars and see where they ended up. Champions League? Or Championship. Take a look.
The Stars Of Leicester City’s Title Winning Season: Where Are They Now?
N’Golo Kante
Who else can we start this list off with other than N’Golo Kante? Kante was phenomenal for Leicester in the middle of the park, and has only gotten better and better since. Impressive performances earned Kante a move to Premier League heavyweights Chelsea, where he has performed exceptionally ever since. Kante was instrumental in their Champions League win last season and has been part of Chelsea’s spine ever since his arrival. Pair this with becoming a key player on a National scale for France, Kante was part of the World Cup winning squad back in 2018. Still only aged 31, Kante has some years left at the top level and remains an important player for Chelsea.
Ben Chilwell
Another important player that Chelsea acquired from Leicester, Chilwell has had moderate success at Chelsea thus far. Having looked impressive when given the chance, unfortunately injuries have blighted his Chelsea career thus far. To be fair to Chilwell, he did stay with Leicester for a further four seasons after their Premier League win, only to make a £45 million move in the summer of 2020. When played, Chilwell has looked comfortable on that left flank and the competition for the spot with Marcos Alonso has done them both well. Still only aged 25, there is certainly more to see from this established England international.
Riyad Mahrez
Another who has only risen in the ranks since leaving Leicester, Mahrez is considered as one of the finest right-wingers of the game. Mahrez indeed stayed at Leicester for a further 2 seasons following their title win, playing in their inaugural Champions League season and helping them progress past the group stages. It was only in 2018 that Manchester City finally paid the necessary £60m transfer fee to acquire the player. After a slow start, Mahrez has become an important player for Manchester City and certainly one of their deadliest in attack. Mahrez has scored 37 goals in 110 league appearances for the sky blues, and has no indication of slowing down any time soon. Having won several trophies with Man City, he also captained Algeria to glory at the 2019 African Cup of Nations.
Jamie Vardy
Jamie Vardy’s having a party! Well, he certainly was when their league title was confirmed back in 2016. This man is ‘Mr. Leicester’. It is crazy that Leicester signed him for a fee of only £1 million back in 2012, for him to have the incredible impact he has. The player has scored 148 league goals for Leicester since joining and was even the Premier League Golden Boot winner for the 2019/20 season. Vardy has been an iconic player for the Premier league over the last 8 years and also made the England squads for both Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup. Known for his pace and aggression, Vardy was supreme and is still going.
Danny Drinkwater
Who could have thought that a player who evolved such an impressive midfield partnership with N’Golo Kante simply couldn’t replicate that form elsewhere? Not us. Drinkwater was so impressive for Leicester that it tempted Chelsea to spend £35 million bringing him to London. Blighted by injuries, defeated by competition for places and having a general poor attitude, Drinkwater’s career post-Leicester can only be labelled disastrous. Several loans have ensued to try and rectify his career, in the Premier league at Burnley and Aston Villa, in Turkey at Kasımpaşa and most recently at Reading in the Championship, where has has actually looked comfortable. However, this only shows his level now. Only one year older than Kante, Kante sits in the heart of the Chelsea midfield, while Drinkwater’s Reading sit one spot above the relegation zone in the second division of English football. It doesn’t always work out leaving Leicester…