Leicester City’s new signing Timothy Castagne spoke to RTBF about the role Brendan Rodgers played in convincing him to join the club.
The Belgian joined the Foxes from Italian side Atalanta for £21.5 million at the start of the month (Sky Sports). Castagne started Leicester’s opening league game against West Brom and it turned out to be a dream debut.
The 24-year-old opened the scoring and helped his side keep a clean sheet in their 3-0 win on Sunday. Castagne opened up about Rodgers’ influence in bringing him to the King Power and he compared the Leicester boss to a former Everton and Wigan Athletic manager.
He said: “I liked the style of play, the pressing that the club puts on. It reminds a bit of Atalanta. And then it’s the championship that I dream of since I was little. The coach (Rodgers) also played a big role.
“He has been following me for a long time and he gave me a very good impression when I spoke to him before making my choice. It was important for me to have a coach who talks a lot, a bit like (Roberto) Martinez in the national team.”
Martinez managed Wigan and Everton in the Premier League, and Swansea in the lower divisions. The Spaniard won the FA Cup in 2013 with the Latics and it is surprising to find out that he is similar to Rodgers.
The Foxes boss, irrespective of similarities with other managers, has done a remarkable job since he was appointed. He helped Leicester finish fifth in the league last season but they could well have been in the top three.
With a Europa League adventure approaching for the Foxes, Rodgers will be challenged a lot more than he was last season. Castagne’s arrival is a real positive after they lost Ben Chilwell to Chelsea, but they still need another defender.
Leicester have been heavily linked with a move for St. Etienne’s Wesley Fofana. The young defender has publicly stated that he wants to join Rodgers (L’Equipe) and, if the move goes through, Rodgers will have a solid squad at his disposal for the rest of this season.
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