Cesare Casadei takes heart from Jamie Vardy gesture as he tries to convince Enzo Maresca
The Leicester City midfielder, on loan for the season from Chelsea, has made three appearances in the Championship so far, but all have come from the substitutes’ bench
Cesare Casadei is taking inspiration from Jamie Vardy as he tries to convince Enzo Maresca to hand him his first Championship start at Leicester City.
The Italian midfielder, who joined on loan from Chelsea this summer, has made three league appearances for City so far, each of them as a substitute, but is hoping he will soon be in the 11.
He has managed to make an impact when coming off the bench, scoring an injury-time winner on his debut against Cardiff. The goal was assisted by Vardy, whose post-match congratulations had a big impact on the 20-year-old.
“I scored on my debut, it was beautiful,” Casadei, who is away with Italy’s Under-21s, told Cronache Di Spogliatoio. “I came in for half an hour and scored the winning goal.
“At the end of the game he (Vardy) hugged me and complimented me. It’s a gesture that is worth a lot as he is a legend for the fans. He’s a player who made history and is a point of reference for us youngsters. Even when he doesn’t say anything to me I try to take inspiration from his behaviour.
“I like the coach a lot, it’s one of the reasons why I chose Leicester. You can find him at any time at the training ground working, preparing for the matches taking care of every little detail.
“His idea is to always play from the back, he doesn’t care if we run some risks. He is helping me to join the team and find the right position. With time I hope to convince him to send me on the pitch as a starter.”
While Casadei has his sights on playing for parent club Chelsea from next season, he wants to make his mark with City first, just as another Italian did in 2016. He said that as a young teenager he was cheering on Claudio Ranieri’s side as they charged towards the Premier League title.
“At Leicester you can still breathe the air of legend due to the victory of the Premier League in 2016. The training ground is full of photos that recall that feat. I was little but, like everyone else, I supported Ranieri’s Leicester. It was an incredible surprise.
“I’m happy today to be part of this ambitious club. The mentality is still Premier League. They want to win every match and be promoted.”
