Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri tells Riyad Mahrez to forget his bling if he wants to be a global superstar
Mahrez won PFA Players’ Player of the Year and BBC African Footballer of the Year but Ranieri says he can't trade on past glories
CLAUDIO RANIERI has told Riyad Mahrez to forget his football bling if he wants to be a global superstar.
The winger rattled in 17 Premier League goals last term as Leicester stunned the football world by winning the title.
That earned the Algerian, 25, more glittering baubles than a Harrods Christmas Tree.
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Mahrez became the first African to win the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award and followed it up by landing the BBC’s African Footballer of the Year award.
He was also voted the seventh best player on the planet in the Ballon d’Or. But this season the Foxes hero has struggled to show any consistency as his side have slid into relegation trouble.
He was finally dropped last week for Everton’s visit and now Ranieri has challenged Mahrez to follow Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi — by forgetting his achievements and starting each year from scratch.
The Foxes boss said: “For the first time in his career, Riyad won everything he wanted to win.
“He is an intelligent player who is always learning. Ronaldo and Messi have won the Ballon d’Or but they always want to win it again and again.
“What they did before, they forget at the start of each season and only look forward. Riyad won the African player of the year and a lot of other personal things.
“He was the Premier League’s Player of the Year. But if he is satisfied with that now then it is not right for him.”
Ranieri reckons dropping Mahrez has done him good.
He said: “When he is switched on everything is fantastic. Leaving him out was to let him recover, not to stimulate him.
“Sometimes ‘fantasy’ players need more rest to recharge the batteries.
“Now he has to improve. Having achieved what he did last season he has other responsibilities now.
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“It is important he is more like Ronaldo and Messi. It is important he wants to win another Ballon d’Or like many big names have done before him.”
Today’s visitors West Ham have pulled away from the drop zone in recent weeks and boss Slaven Bilic is right behind Ranieri’s handling of his star man Mahrez.
He said: “What did Ranieri say about Mahrez? Only that he expects more from him because he is the player of the year.
“There is nothing wrong with it — and I would like Ranieri to rest Mahrez again!”
Bil: King Power cut
SLAVEN BILIC says he expected champions Leicester to fall from grace this season.
The Foxes are three points above the relegation zone.
Bilic, who takes his Hammers to the King Power Stadium today, said: “The only way was down. Leicester was a miracle, it was a big achievement, one of the biggest in football history. They are in a position where no one is happy but there is a long way to go.”
Bilic wants to bring in up to three players but warned: “We won’t buy for the sake of it.”