World Class

[Grebfromgrebland]

Also Frank Sinclair scored some great goals from defensive positions. Wasn't one from near the halfway line against arsenal?

[dmayne7]

Impossible to answer because it depends how you define world class. 

 

Personally, I think the idea that being world class means you'd instantly get into any team in the world/are the best in your position falls flat. That means you can only have 11 world class players at a time. 

 

Imagine you're the best left back in the world, and you actually improve your game over the next year. But another left improves massively and now overtakes you to be considered the best in the world, does that suddenly mean you're not world even though you've actually improved yourself and your team? Of course not.

 

I'm on the more lenient side, so I'd personally view it as any player who has the capability to play for the best teams in the world and not look out of place. So Vardy definitely world class even if he wasn't the best striker in the world. Mahrez in there, Kante 100%, Ricardo at his peak and I'd even argue Kasper (but keeper's are impossible to compare). Maybe it needs to be over a sustained period of time but the shout of Fofana is an interesting one as could throw in people like Soyuncu, Tielemans, Maddison though think they all needed longer periods/that little extra.

[Gamble92]

10 minutes ago, honeybradger said:

Vardy was also past his best when he played against Cavani and Ronaldo. At the time they were still deemed good enough for their national team.

 

Van Persie, Falcao he played before his best.

Just saying he was better on the day against whoever isn't a fair assessment of whether he was world class. He was world class because of what he did over a sustained period of time.

 

Ronaldo for instance is obviously on a completely different level to Vardy. 

[Spudulike]

1 hour ago, Fox92 said:

The three players I think I'd like to have seen play for us live.

I only saw Banks twice as a nipper. Saw every one of Shilton's games at Filbert Street between 1970-71 until his move. Even saw his debut for Stoke at the old Victoria Ground.

 

Saw the first two Lineker goals at Filbert Street (vs Sheff Utd) and most of the others.

 

I was in here that day....

 

 

[DoveValleyFox]

Lineker won the golden boot at the 1986 World cup just a year after leaving Leicester City. If that doesn't make him world class then I don't know what does. During that tournament he pretty much kept England in the World cup single handedly (until Maradona used his single hand to knock us out).

Vardy, unlike any forward that I have seen can be playing up top on his own and still have the whole defence on the back foot. He also had spells where he was a world class finisher. 

[lfu]

1 hour ago, Mike Oxlong said:

Frank Worthington was a world class shagger 

as was Sean St Ledger 

[dmayne7]

1 hour ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

World class, for me, is being in the top two in the world in your position at that current time.

 

When with us:

 

Kante? Yes, world class DM.

Mahrez? No, multiple players better at the time.

Vardy? No, same as above. 
 

Riccy P? For a brief period I’d say he was world class, brief. 
 

People suggesting Vardy and Mahrez clearly define world class more broadly.

Pet hate of mine when people describe him as a holding player/defensive midfielder. When he was at his ridiculous best, he was never playing as that screening player. It completely negated his dynamism and ability to win the ball higher up. Played further forwards that Drinkwater a lot of the time and the same with Matic at Chelsea. Compare him to Ndidi who was (until the last couple of years), very much a defensive midfielder/holding player.

 

On Mahrez, Messi and Bale aside, not really sure anyone was a better RW for a consistent period of time.

[Muzzy_no7]

1 minute ago, dmayne7 said:

Pet hate of mine when people describe him as a holding player/defensive midfielder. When he was at his ridiculous best, he was never playing as that screening player. It completely negated his dynamism and ability to win the ball higher up. Played further forwards that Drinkwater a lot of the time and the same with Matic at Chelsea. Compare him to Ndidi who was (until the last couple of years), very much a defensive midfielder/holding player.

 

On Mahrez, Messi and Bale aside, not really sure anyone was a better RW for a consistent period of time.

DM=defensive midfielder. Doesn’t have to just screen the back four, they can press higher up, too. 

[martyn]

59 minutes ago, CrazyKopCorner said:

Kante definitely. 

 

Mahrez I'd say was for a season or two with us. 

 

Vardy for that season was absolute dynamite - Goals to chance ratio must have been through the roof and for a period he didn't just finish but it seemed to make about 50% of his goals himself - A uniquely brilliant talent 

Assuming "that" season is 2015/2016, i'd argue Vardy became even better in the following 3 or 4 seasons. Under Puel he was insanely good given how little got created for him and then at the start under Rodgers.

 

For that entire period id argue he was world class under most definitions. Pace, movement, finishing off both feet and head, work rate, even his link up and 1 touch lay offs were well above average.

[tcrofts]

Aribo, not even debatable

[Supergray22]

14 minutes ago, martyn said:

Assuming "that" season is 2015/2016, i'd argue Vardy became even better in the following 3 or 4 seasons. Under Puel he was insanely good given how little got created for him and then at the start under Rodgers.

 

For that entire period id argue he was world class under most definitions. Pace, movement, finishing off both feet and head, work rate, even his link up and 1 touch lay offs were well above average.

Agreed. Given his conversion rate as well which over a sustained period was right up there. 

[Kitchandro]

How are you defining world class?

Vardy was absolutely world class and would have been netting 40 goals a season if he’d been at Man City. Do you remember him under Puel? He’d be getting one chance a game and scoring it. He was played out wide under Pearson and Southgate which was ridiculous.
 

Anyone claiming Vardy isn’t world class and Kane is, when he’s been given the red carpet treatment all his career with all the service and starting places he wants because he’s been at a fashionable, fairly successful (at the time) London club competing at the top end, is not a serious person. In fact, look how much crapper Kane was than Vardy when he was played out wide with us. Look how often he’s gone missing in big games for England and inhibits the team’s fluency. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve had to say Vardy’s conversion rate of chances was better than Kane’s in the Premier League. Vardy was too loyal / comfortable for his own good.

 

Mahrez was playing for Man City and scoring winners in Champions League semi-finals. What more do you want?

 

Kante isn’t even a question. He’s the best player I have ever seen in the position he plays.

 

Lineker and Banks speak for themselves. Again, it’s not even a debate.

 

Being world class isn’t all about technical skill by the way. It’s about producing regularly at the very highest level.

This idea that you have to be able to get into a ‘world 11’ is also a poor argument. There’s about 15 midfielders at any one time that are far, far more crucial and effective than the best left backs and goalkeepers. You could have replaced Danny Simpson with Cafu but getting rid of Mahrez or Vardy would have completely tanked our title chances. Simpson was not more world class than Mahrez just because Messi exists.

Edited 8 May by Kitchandro

[VG Fox]

sadly not gonna see any world class players here or a while!  Kante was definitely world class and the biggest reason we won the title IMHO, loved the recent quote '70% of the earths surface is covered in oceans the rest is covered by Kante' .  Mahrez astonishingly skilful, Vardy so much more than just an ultra rapid striker, both very very good, world class not sure, but I'll not argue with anyone who says they are

[OadbyBlue]

Vardy, Mahrez, Kante absolutely were. Ndidi and Ricardo would be borderline too at their best.

[Muzzy_no7]

Chat GPT sez no

[Mickyblueeyes]

Mahrez, Kante, Vardy, Fofana, Ndidi (for a period), Ricardo (for a period), Kasper. Cambiasso was world class but debatable if he had those traits playing for us. 

 

Earlier periods Shilton, Banks, Lineker. 
 

World class is a tough one, very subjective. My thinking for what it’s worth, when that player was deemed world class, how many other teams would they play for/start for. 
 

Vardy for example when he was scoring for fun, every team in the PL would’ve loved to have him. In Europe probably only Real and Barca would’ve passed. The man is a world class goal scorer. 
 

Ndidi between 2018 - 2021 was one of the best DMs in the world. Consistently. 
 

 

[South Shire Fox]

World class for me means being the best in their position in the world. So on that note its Kante and Mahrez. Kante was probably the most influential CM in the world for a few years and Mahrez had the best first touch in the world and ridiculous technique. Vardy was a quality player for us but wouldnt class him as world class. World class for me is someone like Suarez or Aguero.

Edited 8 May by South Shire Fox

[Manley Farrington-Brown]

Not many.

Banks certainly.

Shilton certainly.

If Lineker ever was then he was while with us; not sure he got much better later.

 

And then Kanté, Mahrez and Vardy. I don't think there were any better than them at the time. All three definitely world class, and all here at the same time. No wonder we were good!

[sylofox]

Winks for me is the only one.

 

I don't get how you muppets don't see it.

Manager wise has to be our last four.

 

O Niel and Ranners are not even close. Infact both should of been sacked in the first six months.

[izzymuzzet]

You could argue Kante is the greatest player to ever play for Leicester in terms of achievements.

 

Won the Premier League title two years in a row with different clubs. Won the World Cup and FA Cup the following year. Won the Champions League with a man of the match performance. PFA and Football Writers player of the year. Arguably should have won the Ballon D'Or in 2018 or 2021. 

[inckley fox]

7 hours ago, Ormondroyd8ftTall said:

Having a chat at work about current world class players in premeir league and we could only think of 4, 2 of which are debatable.

 

fernandes, haaland, rice and donnarumma.

 

I got asked if have Leicester ever had players at the club in which they were world class?

 

Had a think and I could only name ngolo kante, who i think was world class level in his only season for us.

 

Vardy - whilst we love him, truthfully i dont think we was ever world class.

Mahrez - same again.

Cambiasso - past prime

Lineker- way too early for me but would get was possibly world class after leicester?

Banks - again way to early for me but seeing as no.1 keeper in world at some stage would guess world class?

Shilton - same as banks.

Kane - way too early in his career

 

Can anyone think of any else or maybe names worth a debate? Have to been playing at leicester at the time.

 

7 hours ago, Ormondroyd8ftTall said:

i think vardy, mahrez and ricardo were very elite, definately, but not world class.

 

World class gotta be where you are the best in the world in your position. Possibly among another 3-4 Names. Obviously differs from era to era.

 

Vardy - Better than Kane, lewandowski, ronaldo, benzema, luis suarez?

Mahrez - Better than Messi, robben, neymar, hazard, salah?

Ricardo - Better than carvajal, dani alves, lahm, kimmich?

 

Don;t get me wrong, not every player listed above could arguably be named world class but that is my point.

As others have said, it depends on what you define 'world class' to be. It's like when people coin the term 'club legend' and debate whether it should be applied to King at one extreme (great servant, great trophy haul, not a major factor in much of the success he enjoyed) and then, say, Kante at another.

 

It's clear that you consider 'world class' to mean the best in the world at what they do, especially if you can only think of four PL players right now who are 'world class'. On that basis, you'd struggle to argue for even Banks and Lineker. Kante may well be the only one, in his City days at least. And no, Ricardo (who was second or third choice RB for Portugal even at his peak) wouldn't come near. I'm not entirely convinced, by that measure, that Rice would apply now, as great a player as he is.

 

For me, though, 'world class' is to be among the very best in your position: To be able to truly excel internationally, continentally and/or within the best teams in the best domestic leagues. That would mean Vardy, Mahrez and Kante were nailed-on, because in terms of what they offered, they were among the best. Possibly even the best. And probably Kasper too, who I honestly thought was one of the best three or four in the world at his peak.

 

That really is a reminder of how amazing Pearson/Walsh were, isn't it? And how our success had more to do with their immense ability to forge an elite side on a shoestring budget than with the investment in the club, as important as it may have been. The six or seven million we spent on Vardy/Mahrez/Kante was by no means an exceptional outlay. The fact that superhuman scouting brought us talent worth twenty or thirty times that amount goes a lot further towards explaining our ascent.

 

And, of course, the people responsible for that were at the club a good while before KP were on the scene.

[Finnegan]

Blows my mind it's 2026 and fans of his own club still haven't cottoned on to how good Vardy was. 

 

Vards, Kante and Mahrez were all comfortably world class footballers. 

 

[deejdeej]

Mahrez is one of the greatest flair players I've ever seen and his numbers backed it up too. 100% world class.

[shock0ng]

Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy are the only Leicester City players to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or, they finished 7th and 8th. So they must have been world class in that year?

[SystonFox]

8 hours ago, Ormondroyd8ftTall said:

i think vardy, mahrez and ricardo were very elite, definately, but not world class.

 

World class gotta be where you are the best in the world in your position. Possibly among another 3-4 Names. Obviously differs from era to era.

 

Vardy - Better than Kane, lewandowski, ronaldo, benzema, luis suarez?

Mahrez - Better than Messi, robben, neymar, hazard, salah?

Ricardo - Better than carvajal, dani alves, lahm, kimmich?

 

Don;t get me wrong, not every player listed above could arguably be named world class but that is my point.

It doesn't matter than those players weren't "better than" those you named? They either were above or on the same level at least.

 

You can't tell me that Vardy 11 in a row isn't world class?

You can't tell me that Mahrez touch and goal vs Chelsea at home, the 1 touch pass to Vardy against City, the letting the ball roll over his head vs Man U (again for Vardy), the sublime long balls for goals for AGAIN VARDY vs Liverpool and WBA.

 

These players were world class throughout their Leicester career.

 

Kante goes without saying. He was world class at Leicester and was for a number of years after. He's two players in one!

 

Simpson was the best RB in the league.... world class perhaps not.

Ricardo same again. just misses out imo on that bracket.

 

Fofana too good for us. Absolute rolls royce and if he a) doesnt get injured and b) doesn't sign for Chelsea he goes on to Real Madrid imho.

 

I could go on for a few more players as well tbh. Schmeichel, Fuchs, Cambiasso (probably not at Leicester as his best years were behind him), even Drinkwater in spates!!!!