Wout Faes has impressed for Leicester City since arriving at the King Power Stadium towards the end of the summer transfer window.
The centre-back made his first league start for the Foxes in their 6-2 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur and has started every league game since then, impressing with his displays.
Since losing to Spurs, Leicester have only conceded three goals from seven league games and have kept five clean sheets in the process.
The Belgium international has been a key figure in his side’s defence this campaign. Het Nieuwsblad had a chat with him, and he was asked whether he expected he’ adapt to the needs of English football quickly.
Faes said: “Honestly? Not really. The difference with the Ligue 1 is big. The pace here in England is absurd. It goes up and down constantly, actually you don’t have a second to blow out. But I do think that the competition is made for me.
“If you don’t go into duels 100% here, you hurt yourself. I like it that way. I think they are happy with me here. As soon as it was possible, I was dropped into the team and after that I didn’t go out. The fact that the results are now also improving makes it even better.
The defender was asked to explain what he brings to the current Leicester side: “Grit, I think. A good tackle or a block that prevents a goal: I enjoy that so much. The entire team now radiates that: the absolute will to keep a clean sheet. But to be clear, that’s not just [to] my credit.”
Meanwhile, the 24-year-old remains hopeful his fine displays for Leicester are enough to convince Belgium manager Roberto Martínez to include him in De Rode Duivels’s squad for the World Cup.
“No [I didn’t hear from Martínez], but I have seen him. He was present as an analyst at the match against Leeds, I shook his hand before kick-off. I happened to become man of the match then, so he must have seen that.
“That is really very difficult to estimate [chances of getting selected for World Cup]. The national coach has to take a lot of things into account.”
Faes is of the belief he has done enough at Leicester to make it to Qatar with Belgium.
When asked how big the disappointment would be if he’s left out of the squad, the player said: “Pretty big. The World Cup is the highest attainable, everyone wants to go there. But I don’t think I can blame myself anyway.
“I can only say that I have done everything within my means. I play at the highest possible level, and I am in the best period of my career. Hopefully that’s enough to convince the national team coach.”
