Leicester City winger Stephy Mavididi has now revealed what he learned from Cristiano Ronaldo during his time at Juventus.
Stephy Mavididi’s journey in football spans far and wide.
The 25-year-old began his youth career at Southend before being snapped up by Arsenal as a 13-year-old in 2011.
Although he never made a senior appearance for the Gunners, he was shipped out on loan to Preston North End in between spells at Charlton Athletic.
Despite only scoring twice in 31 appearances in the EFL, Juventus saw enough talent from the player to sign him in the summer of 2018.
Mavididi was aged 20 at the time and initially joined the Italian giants ‘B’ team where he netted seven goals in 36 appearances for the U23s.
The Frenchman’s time at Juve coincided with the great Cristiano Ronaldo.
While Mavididi only made a solitary appearance in the Serie A, coming off the bench for 21 minutes against SPAL in April 2019, Ronaldo would go on to score an eye-watering 101 goals in 134 appearances for the Old Lady.
The Leicester City dynamo had the pleasure of training with one of the greatest players of all time and that played a crucial role in his development as a youngster breaking through.
Stephy Mavididi reveals what he learned from Cristiano Ronaldo
Mavididi may have departed Turin for Montpellier in the summer of 2020, but he took with him the knowledge and wisdom that Ronaldo passed onto him.
Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports, he said: “Having him there was really good. I tried to be a sponge and take loads of tips off him. Try to add it not just my game but my daily life”.
Whatever tips the Portuguese superstar revealed clearly had a positive impact as the Frenchman’s career has gone on an upward trajectory since.
The fleet-footed winger scored 21 goals in 96 appearances for Montpellier before sealing a £6.4 million move to Leicester last summer.
How good has Mavididi been for Leicester?
Mavididi left England in 2018 as a boy but he returned as a man who is on a mission to fire Enzo Maresca’s side into the top flight.
He’s the Foxes joint top-scorer this term with nine goals in all competitions and while Maresca’s side look destined to win promotion, Gary Lineker is excited about the prospect of watching him in the Premier League.
Mavididi is everything you’d want in a winger; he’s fast, direct, great at finishing chances and very enjoyable to watch.
When the summer arrives and Leicester make improvements to their squad, providing promotion is won, the Frenchman’s position on the left flank looks safe.
He joins the likes of Harry Winks, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and James Justin who look equipped to make the top flight step up.