amed John Terry, John Obi Mikel and Kaka as some of the footballers that inspired him.
The 20-year-old grew up supporting Chelsea as a young boy in Lagos, before he eventually went on to make it big in the game.
His impressive displays for the Foxes since January, earned him his first call to the Super Eagles this month.
“I have always looked up to Mikel,” Ndidi told Goal.
“When he was at Chelsea, I was at Nath Boys [as a youth player] and I have always liked him as a player. I have always been crazy about Mikel. The way he plays is amazing.
“When me and my friends talk about players, we always want to talk about Mikel. He is so important for Nigerian football. I actually liked two players from outside of Nigeria [when I was younger]. Kaka and John Terry.
“Because I was a central defender, I was watching John Terry. The way he was leading Chelsea and putting his heart into it made me like him. I liked Chelsea, with Mikel and Terry.
“They were my favourite players, but I never dreamed of the Premier League. I just wanted to play football. Enjoy the game. For Kaka, I didn’t watch much of him at AC Milan, but when he won the Balon d’Or and I started to look at him.
“I followed him up and watched him more when he went to Madrid. I liked his style of play and I liked his lifestyle outside of football. Very professional.”
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