What's your most memorable international match featuring a Leicester player?
I went with the game that came straight to mind when reading that question, England vs. Nigeria in a friendly before the 2018 World Cup.
We chose to get tickets due to the number of LCFC representatives in the game, with five potentially in action: Jamie Vardy, Harry Maguire, Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho and Ahmed Musa. So, inevitably, the team sheets came out and not one of them was starting.
It was a red hot day, ‘Keldog’ and Musa made it on and England won 2-1, which was a pretty successful day out in the capital as I don't make it to too many England games.
One guy tried to ruin it though, with a line I've recited many times since. Out of the whole of Wembley, we happened to sit next to some Leicester fans, one of whom I had to tell I wasn't going speak to anymore after he said he’d “rather have 11 Marc Albrightons than 11 Riyad Mahrezs''. The classic Leicester fan liking someone who runs around a lot over anything.
A special mention to the Brazil Vs Jamaica game at the, then, Walkers Stadium. My cousin had to be held upside down to get a sweet out of his throat after choking on it when doing the Mexican wave going round. He was either choking on that, or the exceptional amount of weed being smoked by the Jamaica fans. Somehow that was more memorable than some of the Brazilian talent on show; a great day.
Becky Taylor
I remember beaming with pride when Emile Heskey made his full England debut in a goalless friendly against Argentina in February 2000. It had been a long time since a Leicester player had shone on the international stage.
It’s easy to watch with blue-tinted glasses but Heskey was genuinely superb. Don’t take my word for it - this was how the BBC reported his efforts: ‘Heskey's pace and power proved dangerous throughout - and the Leicester youngster eclipsed some world-class players on his full debut. Many pundits had questioned the inclusion of Heskey alongside Alan Shearer up front, but he was given a standing ovation when he was replaced with 10 minutes left.’
At that age, he was almost unplayable at times. Sadly, that meant he was in demand and two weeks later, he was off to Liverpool. We almost immediately went into a tailspin that meant the fact four other players in that England matchday squad would later go on to represent Leicester wasn’t great news. How’s this for a roll call: Martin Keown, Jason Wilcox, Dennis Wise and Kevin Phillips. Oh, and Argentina had our next manager on the bench…
David Bevan
It's a strange one really as he'd left by then, but I loved it when Heskey scored vs Germany (“5-1, even Heskey scored”). One of our own doing the business on the big stage (and a massive told you so from myself to all my mates!).
Iain Wright
Germany vs. England, March 2016. Jamie Vardy’s first international goal: a back-flick to equalise after England had come back from 2-0 down.
Vardy’s England career ended up petering out as part of Gareth Southgate’s general disgust for Leicester players, but it’s probably a bit forgotten now that he took his 2016 Midas touch to the international stage as well.
Honourable mention to another equaliser, against Wales at Euro 2016 a few months later. I was there and celebrating a Leicester player scoring a crucial goal for England at a major tournament already feels like something from another age.
James Knight
