Leeds‘ Ayling Beats Ndidi, Others to Top Tackler Prize

Femi Solaja with agency report

Barely 24 hours after his club, Leicester City missed out from playing in the UEFA Champions League next season, Super Eagles midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, yesterday again missed out of the Best Tackler Award as Leeds United’s Luke Ayling claimed the prize.

Like Ndidi, Brighton & Hove Albion’s Yves Bissouma also missed out of the award.

For the records, Ayling made 108 successful tackles, Bissouma finished in second place with four tackles less while Denmark international and Tottenham Hotspur star, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, was third with 98 tackles to his credit.

Ndidi who finished next to Aaron Wan-Bissaka last term, placed fourth in the period under review with 96 tackles.

The Nigeria star player was on course with fellow countryman, Kelechi Iheanacho for a Champions League spot as they led Spurs 2-1 on the last day of the season for 75 minutes.

With Chelsea losing away at Aston Villa, the ticket appeared in the kitty but the tide changed and the Foxes were condemned to play in the second tier Europa League with 2-4 loss to the North London team.

That slip by Leicester in the remains 15 minutes of that high tempo game, saved The Blues from missing out of topflight European club football next season.

Ayling was on parade from start to finish for Leeds in Sunday’s 3-1 triumph over West Bromwich Albion at Elland Road.

Although Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites finished in ninth place having accrued 59 points from 38 games, the 29-year-old would have something to cheer following his awe-inspiring performance for the West Yorkshire-based outfit in the just-concluded season.

Since Ndidi’s move from Belgian topflight side Genk, the Super Eagle has been outstanding for Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes in the English elite division.

In his first season, the 24-year-old topped the tacklers’ chart with 138 successes and in the process was named as Leicester City’s Young Player of the Year for the 2017/18 season.

He repeated that feat the following season after garnering 144 tackles ahead of Idrissa Gueye (143) and Wan-Bissaka (128) – making history by becoming the first player to lead the top of tackle charts for two consecutive seasons.

In the 2019-20 campaign, the midfielder finished next to Manchester United’s Wan-Bissaka, while his Leicester City teammate Ricardo Pereira finished in third place.

As a consolation for finishing fifth, Leicester who won the English FA Cup will feature in the Europa League alongside David Moyes’ West Ham United who occupy sixth spot.

In his reaction for the painful UCL miss, Ndidi said, “unfortunately we didn’t hit our target but we will come back stronger next season. Oh yeah we made history.”

“Thank you all for your support throughout the season, it was amazing seeing most of you at the stadium,” Ndidi commented.

It make it two consecutive season that Leicester City will missed Top Four despite spending more days in the top four bracket than any other team.