Ricardo Pereira is back - it’s more exciting news for Leicester City
Leicester City have always been a streaky team under Brendan Rodgers and when we’re good, we’re really good.
The anticipation of watching Leicester play while we’re in the midst of a positive run of results and performances is addictive. Who would have thought a few weeks ago we’d have been eagerly awaiting kickoff at Old Trafford?
Victor Kristiansen slotting in like he’s always been there. Maddison at his best. Kelechi making the striker role his own.
There was so much to love about the City display at Tottenham last Saturday - easily one of the top ten performances during the Rodgers era - that the return of Ricardo Pereira felt like an added bonus.
But this is someone who was once one of the best right-backs in the Premier League. So to celebrate his return, let’s spend a little while thinking about just how good Ricardo has been - and could be again.
Skate expectations
I still remember the first time I saw Ricardo play. Not in the flesh, you understand. This was one of those YouTube compilations that make everyone look like a world-beater. You know the ones - mute the Eurodance and get past twenty seconds of pointless slow-motion close-ups - eventually, it began.
It was immediately noticeable how he appeared to skate around the pitch rather than run. What a beautiful way to move. He pushed the ball to other players and brought it back as though it was magnetised. I couldn’t wait to see this happen in blue every week.
The defensive nous of Danny Simpson at right-back had helped bring us the Premier League and a run deep into the latter stages of the Champions League. It was time for something a bit more adventurous to match the wider ambition and vision to make Leicester City a team based more around possession, pressing and control.
In May 2018, Ricardo Pereira swapped the blue and white stripes of Porto for the blue of Leicester City.
Of course, that was also the summer we lost Riyad Mahrez. Rachid Ghezzal was the de facto Mahrez replacement (recruitment meeting minutes: ‘quick, find me a left-footed Algerian right winger’).
However, Leicester actually managed to replicate the pace and trickery of Mahrez from nearby positions - James Maddison brought in to bring the creativity from the number ten role and Ricardo motoring forward from right-back, beating opponents at will.
Scoop of the century
It was immediately obvious how good Ricardo was and it was hard to believe he played for the same club I’d watched lose to Port Vale at Filbert Street in the early 90s.
Like so many others, I’d already seen it all by then - the highs, the lows and everything in between - but while you can win trophies playing a certain way and it’s great, to see such a stylish player in your team’s colours week in, week out is a special feeling.
We’d just lost that with Mahrez and at the precise point I was starting to consider not having a favourite player (being 34 years of age at the time, not 7), we quickly rediscovered it with Ricardo and I was smitten again.
From my vantage point in the southwest corner of the stadium, I’d grown accustomed to seeing Mahrez outfoxing opposition left-backs. With Leicester so often shooting towards the Kop in the second half, Mahrez magic became a familiar sight as the final whistle grew closer. It was fitting that his closing act in a Leicester shirt on Filbert Way was a classic raid down the right, dancing infield to score.
Soon we had Ricardo for entertainment instead. If Mahrez’s signature move was the stepover and cut inside, Ricardo’s was a kind of scoop motion with his right foot that quickly took him past his marker - often from a standing start. His sheer acceleration must have been terrifying for opponents.
The third goal in the 3-0 win over Arsenal in April 2019 showcased Ricardo at his very best - he’s involved twice (from 2:04 in the video below), using his supreme touch and pace to both start the attack and quickly after provide the ball on a plate for Jamie Vardy.
Stat attack
We remember Ricardo’s swashbuckling attacking play but it seems to have been forgotten just how defensively solid he was.
In his debut season, only three players made more tackles in the Premier League than his 118 (Ndidi was top with 143, followed by Idrissa Gueye and Aaron Wan-Bissaka). Ben Chilwell, his left-sided counterpart, made just 55 despite playing more minutes.
Both Ricardo and Chilwell were integral to the way Leicester played that season. Only 15 players had more touches than Ricardo - Chilwell was one of them.
Remarkably, Ricardo was among the league’s top three tacklers - again alongside Ndidi - in his second season with the club, in 2019/20. This was despite missing the final quarter of the season through injury. If he had stayed fit, surely Leicester would have won more than 2 of the last 9 games and qualified for the Champions League.
Strike!
Ricardo isn’t just a tackler and dribbler. He’s also scored some absolutely brilliant goals in his time with the club so far - and one hugely meaningful one.
His first for Leicester, in October 2018, involved a wonderful solo run and shot past Jordan Pickford to equalise against Everton.
His second, on Boxing Day, was a rocket of a late winner that flew beyond Ederson in the Manchester City goal.
He hit the net four times the following season, again all at home. His only goal on the road wasn’t a rocket and didn’t come at the end of a mazy dribble but it’s my favourite of all - and the highlight of last season for the vast majority of Leicester fans.
There’s nobody in the squad I’d rather have followed up to score that late winner in Eindhoven. It was a magical moment and anyone lucky enough to witness it will never forget the feeling.
The future
The prospect of Ricardo linking up with Tete in an all-Lusophonic (I had to google that) right wing is mouthwatering. Wait, no, it’s água na boca (that too).
You’d be well within your rights not to be hopeful, given Ricardo’s recent injury history - it feels like he’s barely played for 3 years (in fact, last Saturday’s brief cameo was, surprisingly, his 44th appearance since that first serious injury in March 2020).
We’ve learned through various injury crises in the past few years that we need players we can rely on to be fit. While not hitting the same heights as Ricardo did in his first two seasons, Timothy Castagne has been invaluable simply for his availability and reliability. Some people also think Ricardo shouldn’t be first choice even when everyone’s fit.
Clearly, we would lose important height from the team if Castagne was dropped and not just defensively - he scored the opening goal of the season against Brentford from a similar position to his header that was cleared off the line leading to Nampalys Mendy’s screamer against Spurs.
The concerns about Ricardo’s form and fitness are also completely valid, so what follows is certainly a big if. But if he can get back to anywhere near his best, surely this new-look Leicester - with its aggressive, attacking, arresting approach - would benefit from the return of Ricky P.
