“He opened my eyes” – Leicester City player says Enzo Maresca changed everything for him

Wout Faes was a key part of the Leicester City side that secured promotion to the Premier League last season.

   The centre-back arrived at the King Power Stadium from Stade de Reims in 2022 when the Foxes were in the Premier League.    Leicester were relegated from League One at the end of their first season.

   Faes continued in the Championship with Leicester, where he was a regular last season under Enzo Maresca, now at Chelsea.    He has accumulated more than 4,000 minutes in 46 games in all competitions.

   The Belgian international spoke to Le Soir.    His comments were relayed by Walfoot, who questions whether it was a “good choice” for him to stay at Leicester.

   The 26-year-old has now explained Maresco’s impact on improving his game.    The Italian managed Leicester for a year before leaving them for Chelsea in the summer.

   “I have to say that before last season I didn’t know much about this competition. Of course we often talk about the physical aspect and the matchups,” he said.

   “But that’s not all. Coach Enzo Maresca was really important to me. He opened my eyes, showed me a lot of pictures and supported me tremendously throughout the season.”

   “Because he looks at football differently and has introduced a very clear system.    It’s something I’ve never really experienced before.    And it was also the first time I played in a team that played most of the game in the opposite half.    I actually feel like I’ve taken some steps forward in the property.”

   Leicester City have appointed Steve Cooper as Maresca’s successor and have won seven Premier League games this season.

   The Foxes have collected six points and are three points above the relegation zone.    The defender spoke about Leicester’s goals when discussing the start of this season.

   “I wouldn’t say we had a bad start to the season, because we still got three draws. Which means we weren’t far from winning. But our main goal is definitely to stay in this season,” explained Faes.

   “That’s because we play in one of the most competitive leagues in the world and because we all know how difficult it is to put together matches at this level. So we’ll try to settle quickly and then see where we end up.”