Vardy explains how Mahrez won Leicester squad back over

Matt Stead

Jamie Vardy says Riyad Mahrez organised a team meeting to get his Leicester teammates back on side.

Mahrez has only recently returned to the Leicester first team after a self-imposed hiatus.

The winger did not feature from January 20 to February 10 after failing to secure a January transfer window move to Manchester City.

On his first start back for the club he assisted Vardy’s winning goal in the FA Cup against Sheffield United.

Vardy says that it was Mahrez who made the first steps towards repairing his relationship with the squad.

“It is what it is,” Vardy told Sky Sports. “The bid came in, it was turned down, and you can understand his disappointment. But while he wasn’t here we were having to get on with it.

“We are all professionals and had to play without him. It happens if he is injured or on the bench, so we just focused on the games. He came back, got us in the dressing room, explained the situation, and you move on.

“Everyone is exactly the same, they know what they have to do and their jobs. It was Riyad who wanted the meeting and got everyone in the dressing room and explained the situation, which is kept behind closed doors between us, and as far as everyone else is concerned that’s that.

“You have to make sure it’s like that, with the dressing room we have got everyone is a close-knit group so for him personally to want to do that shows what he is about.”

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