Wilfred Ndidi has been a Leicester City stalwart since being captured from Genk in January 2017.
The third longest-serving player in the current Leicester squad, behind only Jamie Vardy and Hamza Choudhury, has made 295 appearances since moving to the King Power Stadium.
During that time, Ndidi has experienced the highs of lifting the FA Cup and winning promotion back to the Premier League and the lows of suffering relegation in 2023.
Unfortunately, Leicester fans could be waving goodbye to the Nigerian powerhouse this summer as Galatasaray want to sign Ndidi.
With Ruud van Nistelrooy’s men staring relegation in the face, it seems impossible for them to hold onto their best players. But if he does depart, he will do so with eight years of memories and a university degree.
Wilfred Ndidi completed a business degree at the De Montfort University
Some footballers fail to prepare before their retirement but at the age of just 21, Ndidi decided to pursue a Business and Management degree at the De Montfort University in 2018.
The midfielder accepted that a football career is only short and having a qualification on the side will help him massively post-retirement.
Speaking after being enrolled on the course seven years ago, Ndidi said: “I was really happy when DMU staff said I could study here,” he said. “I wanted to do this course because growing up in Nigeria we didn’t really have the opportunity to actually go to school.
“It’s a personal thing for me that I want to do, to expand myself and learn new things.”
The Business and Management degree were also mindful of Ndidi’s intense training schedule and made sure they fit around his busy life.
“The teachers have been amazing, they really try and help me understand. Rather than just reading books they take time to explain things to me and they are also very understanding about my schedule with training.”
Ndidi finished his degree in 2022 and speaking after completing it, he said: “Yes (I enjoyed it). I’m done. I did like a 10-class course which can enrol me into a proper university degree,” Ndidi told Football Daily.
“It’s just to enlighten me about business and entrepreneurship and tourism also.”
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Ndidi’s Leicester career drawing to a close
The last time Leicester were relegated to the Championship, the appointment of Enzo Maresca perhaps inspired Ndidi to stay.
Eventually, he made the right decision, as the Nigerian dominated in midfield alongside Harry Winks and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall while Leicester booked an instant return to the Premier League.
But on this occasion, with the uncertainty surrounding the future of Van Nistelrooy and the toxic nature of the club, it seems Ndidi could exit the club.
With several sides interested in his signature, it looks like end of the road for the Leicester midfielder, who has been a solid servant.