I’ve picked Leicester’s player of the season, and his name is Mavididi
Last week, Abdul Fatawu came down the aisle as our first nominee for Leicester’s player of the season. This week, Iain Wright casts his vote for his mate on the opposite wing.
Back on a sunny summers day in 2023, Enzo Maresca was announced as the new Foxes manager and was filmed with a beaming smile and that Jacket, shaking hands with the crew at Seagrave. Later that day, pictures emerged on Twitter of a Lamborghini, suspected to be Enzo's, cruising around the City.
As we all know, he took that car to Europe and bought a winger, his name is Mavididi.
There's similarities with what I'm going to write with David Bevan's article on Abdul Fatawu last week. With both wingers, it's not just their output on the pitch that gets them into Player of the Season contention, it's the vibe they bring to to the squad and the connection they've created with the fan base.
In my opinion, in a Player of the Season category, with many contenders, Lamborghini Mavididi just edges it.
It's worth recapping how Mavididi arrived at Leicester. Initially, he took an unusual route before taking the well trodden path from Ligue 1 into our first team.
Born in Derby but raised in London, Mavididi made his way through the academies at Southend and then Arsenal, earning caps at England youth levels and indeed a loan at Monday's opponents, Preston, in 17/18. After another loan at Charlton, he made the obvious next step in his career...and joined Italian giants Juventus!
Training with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, he made just one appearance for The old lady of Italian football, before a move to Ligue 1 in France.
It's there where he began to make his mark, honing his skills and building his goals and assists numbers, firstly at Dijon and then Montpellier, breaking Chris Waddle's record for the Englishman with the most appearances in the French top flight, along the way.
When he first appeared on our radar is unknown, but what we do know is that we scout the French top flight extensively, with some phenomenal successes and of course the odd dud. Although the French league sometimes gets looked down on, we saw with our own eyes when we played Rennes a lifetime two years ago, there is some real quality and intensity (as Claude Puel used to say!) in there.
As with the signing of Anthony Knockaert ten years ago, Mavididi's main job was bring some flair to a Foxes squad that had lacked enough players with that commodity in recent seasons.
He arrived into the squad quite late in the summer, not long before the opening day. It became clear that he'd be another inverted left winger, replacing Harvey Barnes, who'd departed to Newcastle for eight times the fee we'd paid Montpellier for Mavididi. Although Barnes wasn't universally adored by the entire fan base, his goals output for the past couple of seasons at Premier League level had been exceptional. Mavididi had large boots to fill in a team that had a bit of a mish-mash feel to it on opening day.
An assist for Kienan Dewsbury-Hall's winner vs Coventry was followed up with his first goal and indeed first winning goal away at Huddersfield. It's always important for forwards to get on the scoresheet early in their careers at new clubs. Therefore the fact he scored the winner (a little fortuitously), in front of the away fans, in a one-niler was important to get his career ignited.
In the away end, Straight Back Up, Straight Back Up Leicester City, was followed up with the Enzo went to Europe song, sung heartily by the fans. It's really strange how players 'get songs', Mavididi securing his within a couple of weeks, compared to say James Maddison who didn't have one for ages and then when he did, it was never really sung at significant volume.
Immediately Mavididi was a fans favourite (at least to some - Ed), especially when he added a Lamborghini to his Twitter header! After enduring a squad last season with many that seemed to clock in and clock off without much interaction or even regard for the fans, Mavididi's playful approach started to build that connection fans crave and which in turn can inspire players to give that little bit extra.
His standout performance was probably the away game at Southampton, a statement 4-1 win in front of the Sky Sports cameras. Mavididi won man of the match with a couple of assists and a break away goal (to be fair, it's a good job he did score, having spurned an easier chance just before!). It truly was a magnificent performance and one that has identified him as our main threat to opposition defences ever since.
Enzo confirmed he'd done some work at Seagrave with the wingers, with the intention of increasing their output. This really paid dividends as Mavididi hit a purple patch throughout December, with five goals, including the iconic one away at Birmingham City. He'd become a player that would get you off your seat, for us Leicester fans enjoying his performances and for Birmingham fans raging as he took a seat in front of them! Sensational!
This form saw him be crowned Championship Player of the Month for December, with another goal on the 1st of January to boot.
There was then a leaner patch, with just the one league goal after New Years Day until we got into April. Although there was his goal of the season contender away at Chelsea, in front of a packed and delirious away end, to savour in the meantime.
As the calendar clicked into April though, he really delivered when we, almost desperately, needed it. A big player doing the business when it really matters.
A lovely headed assist for Dewsbury-Hall's equaliser vs Norwich was followed up with a fabulous goal to put us into the lead. Football can be a game of fine margins, this goal somehow sliding through the smallest of gaps between the Norwich defender and goalkeeper.
We then come to THE moment of the season, the 'scenes' header as full time approached vs Birmingham City. In the context of the season, wow this was a big moment. Cue absolute pandemonium in the stands and some amazing commentary from Owynn Palmer-Atkin and Pipes on Radio Leicester.
So as we approach the end of his first season in royal blue, he can look back proudly on 12 league goals (plus the one at Chelsea in the FA Cup) and 6 assists. I think he's been our main threat for most of the season, delivered numerous standout moments and most importantly, injected some excitement into the team.
Can he take that form and rip it up in the Premier League? A question for another day, but there are lots of encouraging signs. For now, when we win The Championship, we'll sing his song all night.
