Leicester City’s saddest story gets ‘special’ ending after three-year wait

Leicester City’s saddest story gets ‘special’ ending after three-year wait.

32 ninety-minute games were played by Ricardo Pereira this season as City won the Championship,

which is ten more than he played in the three previous seasons combined due to injuries.
Ricardo Pereira can claim a significant role in Leicester City‘s victory as champions.

Not only has he assumed a pivotal part in Enzo Maresca’s lineup,

operating in midfield when the ball is in midfield but at full-back when it isn’t,

but he has also been healthy enough to contribute for almost the whole season.

One of the season’s great points has been witnessing Ricardo play such a significant part,

given his journey over the previous three years has been one of City’s saddest tales.

One of the top full-backs in the Premier League, if not all of Europe,

Ricardo was named player of the season in his first season at King Power Stadium.

However, in the penultimate game before the Covid shutdown, he tore his ACL, and he has been dealing with injuries ever since.

It’s been hard to keep fit. After undergoing knee surgery,

Ricardo has experienced a number of minor muscular problems as well as significant layoffs,

most notably due to an Achilles rupture during the summer 2022 preseason game.

He’s been dealing with a new issue just when he was starting to miss his former self.
But now that he’s had a long campaign, he can finally enjoy it.

This season, Ricardo made 45 appearances in all competitions, 39 of which were starts. 32 times, he finished the 90 minutes.

Only 22 times in the three prior seasons put together was he able to play an entire game.

Ricardo remarked of his personal season, “It’s been really good.”

My main objective on a personal level was to play and be available as much as possible.

It was important to focus on doing the little things and the things under my control,

even when things weren’t going well, and it paid off. A tad bit behind schedule!

“I didn’t make any changes from the previous season to this one,

but I did try to do as much as I could to recover after practices and games, sleep well, and watch what I ate.”

These are the kinds of things I would have done poorly in the past,

but it just checks all the boxes to make me feel good about myself and that I did everything within my power to improve my situation.

Perhaps Maresca’s scheme would not have been as successful without Ricardo.

When he moved past Harry Winks to join the attack,

the 30-year-old needed to demonstrate his creative ability as well as his technical skills to flourish in confined spaces in midfield.

However, he also need tactical expertise to ensure he never left his full-back station too vulnerable. He completed the task expertly.

Besides, he needed to be a boss. Ricardo led the team when Jamie Vardy was off the field.

Thus, Vardy invited Marc Albrighton and the Portuguese to share the honors with him as he raised the trophy on championship day.

As City looks to make amends for 2022–23 and escape relegation,

Ricardo will likely have to take on a bigger leadership role

the following season as he mentors younger players through what may be their first season in the top division.
After everything that had happened previously, Ricardo remarked of Vardy’s trophy gesture, “It was really special.”

It was great to be there, and it was also great to leave those two together

since they truly are the club’s legends and should have had their own time.

“I’m overjoyed to be in the Premier League, where we rightfully belong.”

The quality will increase, and I’m sure the younger players understand it. I’ll try my hardest to support them.

“In the Premier League, they are more clinical if you make one mistake and they have one chance.”

However, we have time to adjust, so I’m confident we’ll be alright.

“We are aware of our talent, but anything can happen in football.” Occasionally, the quality is insufficient.

The fact that we were demoted in 2023 should teach us to attempt to do better and avoid repeating our mistakes.

It’s about realizing our worth and realizing that we still have work to do.

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