World Cup 2018: The most underrated player to watch out for in each group

Group D- Wilfred Ndidi

England v Nigeria -International Friendly

When Wilfred Ndidi was signed by Leicester City, they hoped he would be a replacement for N’Golo Kante. Those were unrealistic expectations and initially, Ndidi struggled. However, in the past season, he was excellent for Leicester as the Foxes finished 9th. His player rating (according to WhoScored) ranked 32nd in the Premier League. Perhaps most impressively, Ndidi made the most tackles per game in the Premier League with a remarkable 4.2. For comparison, his nearest challenger (Idrissa Gueye) was at 3.5. Moreover, his successful tackle % was the fourth highest in the top 10 with only Kante, Gueye and Pablo Zabaleta being more impressive.

Obviously, Ndidi’s game requires some improvement as his passing is rather mediocre for a midfielder. However, in the World Cup, it is his defensive work that will be vital for Nigeria. The Super Eagles will be facing footballing powerhouses in Argentina and Croatia, both of whom sport dangerous attacks. Ndidi will need to replicate or even surpass his Premier League performance for Nigeria to contain these teams and make it out of the group stage.