Earlier on Thursday, we covered an interview Islam Slimani gave to O Jogo, and it appears the player has been rather chatty following Leicester’s win against Porto, as he also gave an interview to beIN Sports, relayed by Le Buteur.
While the O Jogo interview focused more on the Portugal aspect of things, the Algerian international spoke to beIN Sports more about his relationship with Riyad Mahrez, who set him up for his goal in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The target man was bought for a club record fee towards the end of the transfer window from Sporting CP, and the presence of his compatriot at the club was a great plus to have.
He said: “I arrived to a very tightly knit team, a real family, and that helped me to settle in. I was quickly welcomed and Mahrez was a big part of that. His presence is very important to me during my first steps at Leicester. I have to thank him a lot.”
The players’ friendship was clear to see from the off for Leicester, linking up nicely as if they’d been playing together for a long time, and they have been, to a certain extent.
Slimani explained: “Mahrez is a player I know well. We’ve been playing for the national team together for three years now. He knows my strength, and I know his. It’s a good thing for Leicester.
“After that, it’s thanks to God first and then the effort of the players that we managed to get a precious win. We’ve got six points and the merit also goes to both of us, by that I mean Riyad Mahrez and myself.”
Thanking all the Algerian fans for their support, the 28-year-old seems hellbent on having a great season at Leicester, and with three goals in his first four games, he’s well on his way to doing so.
