Wilfred Ndidi - Leicester's underappreciated rock set for the top

After their record-equaling 9-0 win at Southampton last week, there's little wonder Leicester's impressive attacking lineup is drawing praise, and quite right too.

Spearheaded by the wily Jamie Vardy, the Foxes' youthful support act to the former England international have been in fine form this season.

Brendan Rodgers' side sit just two points behind reigning champions Manchester City in third and are now nearing odds of evens with most bookmakers for a top four finish, let alone top six. That's despite losing Harry Maguire over the summer for a record-breaking fee and not signing a replacement.

While Caglar Soyuncu deserves great credit for stepping in, the key player to Leicester's impressive record at both ends of the pitch is Wilfred Ndidi.

The Nigeria international is, without question, the Premier League's best ball winner at present and has taken up the mantle in that regard from N'Golo Kante during the Frenchman's time at the King Power. While not necessarily directly comparable - the now Chelsea midfielder, even when at Leicester, charges forward more often in support of attacks - Ndidi has coped admirably with the thankless task of filling Kante's boots.

His more attack-minded teammates are safe in the knowledge that their anchor in midfield is there to mop up should they get caught upfield. Playing James Maddison and Youri Tielemans in a midfield pairing would be impossible were it not for Ndidi's defensive work rate.

His ability to regain possession also has an obvious impact on Leicester's record at the back, with no team having conceded fewer goals in the Premier League (eight).

Ndidi ranks first in England's top-flight for interceptions this season (32) and second to teammate Ricardo Pereira for tackles (45). He has topped the charts for the latter in each of his previous two full seasons in the Premier League, and despite his incredibly high volume of tackles, Ndidi has never been suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

This season so far the midfielder's WhoScored.com rating is at its highest in his career, with an average of 7.63 now enough to rank fifth in the top tier of English football.

Such mature and measured performances from a player signed from the Belgian league at the age of just 20 have gone underappreciated outside of the King Power so far, and Foxes fans would no doubt love to keep it that way. Most may be surprised to realise that the Nigerian is still just 22 and, approaching three years a Premier League player, he is undoubtedly proven at this level.

His compatriot and captain at international level John Obi Mikel will no doubt be an inspiration having reached the top of the game with Chelsea and in truth Ndidi is arguably better talent now than the former Blues midfielder ever was.

He is destined for big things, that is for sure, but for the time being the youngster is the undervalued gem in this exciting Leicester side, and one of the most pivotal players for any team in the division.