Demarai Gray finally looks to have a manager who trusts him – and he showed that in a sparkling display on Sunday.
Demarai Gray immediately repaid the faith shown in him by new Leicester City manager Claude Puel on Sunday.
The Foxes beat Everton 2-0 at the King Power Stadium in the Frenchman’s first game in charge, with Gray starting on the right-hand side and playing an influential role.
After starring in the early minutes, Gray’s evasive run up the wing created the first goal and a second followed from his cross-cum-shot.
It is all a far cry from the winger’s previous experience at Leicester – this was just his 12th Premier League start since joining the club in January 2016.
Gray was linked with a number of clubs in the off-season and he made his displeasure clear at his lack of game time – as reported by the Independent.
“I am not happy with the amount of football I am playing,” he said. “I respect the manager [Craig Shakespeare] and he picks his team.”
But Puel was rewarded for the trust he put in Gray, who clearly has the talent to be a top-flight star.
If the former Southampton manager was criticised for a dull style of play at St Mary’s, there is no danger of similar accusations while Gray remains in the team.
He was Leicester’s best player against an expensively assembled side and one has to wonder quite why Shakespeare did not pick the England Under-21 international more often.
Either way, the Foxes will be feeling rather smug that they were able to keep a player who now looks like a game-changer past the end of the transfer window.
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