Former Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has ranked Manchester United summer signing Youri Tielemans ahead of fellow Premier League winner N’Golo Kante in his top five rankings.
Jamie Vardy and N’Golo Kante were central to Leicester City’s famous Premier League title win during the 2015-16 season under ex-Foxes boss Claudio Ranieri.
However, Kante left Leicester after the Foxes’ historic milestone in 2016 and moved to Chelsea, while Vardy remained at the King Power Stadium until his 2025 exit.
Foxes legend Vardy later crossed paths with midfielder Youri Tielemans after Leicester signed the 29-year-old Belgium international from French side Monaco.
Jamie Vardy explains why Youri Tielemans is third in his rankings, as N’Golo Kante had to settle for fourth place
Youri Tielemans enjoyed a successful period at the King Power, including lifting the FA Cup trophy in 2021 alongside former Leicester City teammate Jamie Vardy. The Manchester United summer signing’s stunning exploits at the Foxes came to an end after Leicester’s Premier League relegation in 2023.
Tielemans left the 2016 Premier League champions and moved to Aston Villa on a free transfer, where he remained until his £35m move to Man Utd back in the summer. Speaking on TikTok, Vardy was asked to name the five best players that he had played alongside in his career.
Vardy placed former Manchester City and Leicester winger Riyad Mahrez at No 5 before he slotted ex-Chelsea star N’Golo Kante at No 4. However, the Burnley striker explained why Tielemans secured the No 3 spot ahead of the likes of Riyad Mahrez and Kante.
“Youri Tielemans, he just had everything,” Vardy explained.
“He was literally all-round what you needed as a midfielder: passing, work rate, shooting, tackling — he has it all.”
Tielemans, who has been central to the midfield plans of Michael Carrick this season, fell short of Tottenham star James Maddison (second place) and Leicester legend Wes Morgan (first place) in Vardy’s rankings.
When speaking about Kante, Vardy said: “N’Golo Kante, he’s the best at what he does. You need to get that ball back — you can rely on N’Golo.”
United activated the release clause in Tielemans’ Aston Villa contract and brought the Belgium captain to Old Trafford in July. Tielemans has made seven appearances across all competitions under United manager Michael Carrick in the 2026-27 campaign and has picked up two assists for the Red Devils.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/IU3210f