Leicester City’s relegation to the Championship may not have been beneficial for the club, but it brought some positives for Ricardo Pereira. Finally free from the physical issues that plagued him in previous seasons, the full-back is once again playing regularly and now dreams of returning to the national team.
A Portuguese international on seven occasions, Ricardo Pereira was frequently called up by Fernando Santos but has yet to be included in Roberto Martínez’s lists. After a stint in the Championship, the full-back is preparing to return to the Premier League and hopes to also make future Portugal squads.
“In the second division, there isn’t as much visibility, but if I continue to perform well, I might get my chance,” he said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper MARCA.
The 30-year-old defender went through a tough injury, suffering an Achilles tendon rupture that kept him off the field for an extended period, but he now feels close to his past form.
“I don’t know if my current version is better than in 2019 (when he was named Leicester’s player of the year), because I play in different positions and it’s hard to compare, but I’m closer than ever to my best level,” he assessed.
After a positive season both personally and collectively (promotion and winning the Championship), Ricardo Pereira praised Enzo Maresca, the Foxes’ coach who is set to leave for Chelsea.
“Tactically, he is very good, the best coach I’ve ever had. His style of play is complex, but the way he explains it makes it seem easy. We all know what we have to do. He has qualities of Pep (Guardiola). He wants to keep possession, build from the back…”, he said.
“I like that he is direct. He maintains a player’s mentality and tells it like it is. He takes good care of those who play less, and that is important,” he added.