Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Leicester
City's Nigerian midfielder Wilfred Ndidi is a player in the mould of
Manchester City star Yaya Toure says former Chelsea left-back Celestine
Babayaro.
Ndidi has made an excellent start to his career at Leicester after signing from Belgium Pro League side Racing Club Genk, in January.
His increasing influence and the energy and intensity he brings to the team has helped the Foxes reach the Champions League quarter-finals and also climb way from the relegation zone after a run of five consecutive league wins.
The 20-year-old Nigerian international's all-action style and high work rate has seen him being compared with Chelsea's N'Golo Kante, the man Ndidi has replaced in the Leicester engine-room.
But Babayaro, a former Super Eagles international defender, says his young countryman shares more similar characteristics with Ivory Coast and Manchester City midfielder Toure.
"There's a large difference in the way he plays and that of Kante. There are probably similarities in terms of winning duels, but aerially Ndidi is better and a little bit more assured in position and very good at trying his luck from range," Babayaro told OwngoalNigeria.
"He is a bit like Patrick Viera but not so much. But he looks every inch like Toure in his prime, leggy, strong and shoots a lot, Toure was like that while at Monaco.
"Ndidi has improved a lot in the last few months. His ability on and off the ball has greatly improved in England. Most people doubted him but I never did."
