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| Riyad Mahrez scoring his stunning goal as Leicester beat Chelsea 2-1 to top the Premier League |
FOR a man who still looks like he is put together from pipe cleaners and was once told he was too frail to make it at the top, Riyad Mahrez might be forgiven for feeling a touch big-headed right now.
His goals, assists and mesmerising skills this season have been every bit as instrumental in Leicester City's astonishing rise to the top of the Premier League as have the exploits of his more celebrated team-mate Jamie Vardy.
But standing in the tunnel after his masterclass against Chelsea on Monday night as captain Wes Morgan fielded a question as to whether Mahrez was currently the best player in the Premier League, there was no sign of it, just a slightly embarrassed smile.
Claudio Ranieri lumped Mahrez, 24, together with Vardy describing them as not for sale after their 2-1 victory over Chelsea. "They are without a price," he said.
The statistics for Mahrez's season to date certainly make a compelling case to suggest he might just be the best operator seen so far (Morgan, for his part, said it was hard to argue with the suggestion) with 11 goals, seven assists, and the current crown as the league's most effective dribbler.
Whatever the passing and shooting stats suggest no one is going to compete with the pound-for-pound value he has provided, having been signed by Leicester from French second division side Le Havre in 2014 for a basement price of £350,000.
Ever since that day he has made rapid strides including making his international debut in the World Cup.
Mahrez describes his upbringing as modest "not poor" in a north Paris suburb where he played for local side Sarcelles.
What he did always have was determination to move to the next level - a season with Quimper in Brittany, then signing for Le Havre in 2010 were the steps.
Throughout it all he has battled perceptions that he was too slight to make his mark. At Quimper he was described by his then manager as "frail", he was turned down by Lens who thought him to be too weak.
When Leicester City scout Steve Walsh went to Le Havre to watch another winger Ryan Mendes he returned convinced, but not about his initial target, rather Mahrez who had dazzled on the other wing.
Two more trips convinced him that he had spotted a gem.
Nothing the Leicester faithful have seen since, either in his debut season in the Championship last year, or in his inaugural steps in the top flight have convinced them otherwise.
When he first arrived he had limited English so team-mates used to get him to repeat questions to Nigel Pearson asking whether the squad could have the afternoon off.
Ritchie De Laet said at the time: "It was all good fun. If we want an extra day off, we tell Riyad what to say. That's always funny. He doesn't know a lot of English so we tell him what to say!"
Such rites of passage worked well and Mahrez has settled well - marrying an Englishwoman this summer and signed a contract extension to 2019. There can be no doubt that players and fans have taken him to their hearts.
On Monday night, Mahrez was superb. His left foot, described by one of his former coaches at Sarcelles as "like a hand" could not have placed the ball in Thibaut Courtois's goal any more accurately for Leicester's second.
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| Neither Thibaut Courtois or Cesar Azpilicueta could stop Mahrez and Leicester |
Keeping hold of him will be their greatest challenge, not in January but at the end of the season.
Team-mate Marc Albrighton is well aware that bigger teams will come looking and accepted that the reality for both him and Vardy.
"Their dream must be to play for one of the biggest teams in Europe - every player's is," he said. "But why would you want to leave this club at the moment? We are building something special as a top four team and they are a massive part of this."
Vardy had the accolade of a packet of crisps - Vardy Salted - produced for fans as a thank you from sponsors Walkers to mark his record-breaking achievement of scoring in 11 consecutive Premier League matches and his call up to England.
Apparently there are no such plans for any more but if Mahrez carries Leicester into the Champions' League berth - and no team leading at this point of the season has ever fallen lower than fourth - a second production run surely beckons.
Riyadh Salted perhaps...
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