da realbet： [ad_pod ]
da wazamba： Brendan Rodgers reportedly wants to include defender Filip Benkovic in his first-team plans next season at Leicester, once he returns from a loan spell with Celtic. But would the decision be warranted?
What’s the word?
Leicester signed Benkovic in a £13m deal from Dinamo Zagreb last summer but immediately loaned him out to Rodgers’ then-club Celtic in a bid to grant the centre back some experience in British football.
The Croatian has been a rock at the back for the Hoops this season – he featured 26 times across all competitions but unfortunately had his progress halted because of injury.
His performances in the SPL have obviously made the defender’s ex-boss a huge fan of him and as a result, he’s hinted that the 21-year-old could feature at the King Power next season.
This is despite his age, with the Scotsman claiming he already has plenty of experience. He said: “You look at Benkovic up at Celtic, he is only 21 but he has actually been playing first-team football since he was 16. He has good experience.”
Can he surpass Maguire?
When analysing the Croatian youth international, immediate comparisons can be drawn to current Foxes favourite Harry Maguire. They are both 6 ft 4 and good passers of the ball. The former has a pass success rate of 90.4% in the Europa League this term, whereas Maguire’s Premier League figure stands at 84.5%.
They are similar players, but the Croat can easily surpass Maguire’s potential. His early exposure at Dinamo Zagreb, a club he amassed 76 appearances for as a youngster, could be significant.
There is a common trend of Zagreb youth products doing well in England too, with Ballon d’Or winner and former Tottenham man Luka Modric also hailing from the Croatian side. Other successes include Matteo Kovacic, Dejan Lovren and Eduardo da Silva.
It’s something that stands Benkovic in very good stead for a Premier League return, as does dealing with the expectation and standards required of playing for a big club such as Celtic.
Getting to the level of Modric is highly unlikely but surpassing Maguire’s peak at an earlier age would not be surprising.