Wout Faes is, by any definition of the phrase, an elite soccer participant.
The center-back made a reputation for himself because the captain of one in all Belgium’s youth nationwide groups, serving to the U17 win a bronze medal on the 2015 UEFA U-17 World Cup. Faes additionally labored his manner by means of the Anderlecht coaching academy, earlier than spending time two years every with Oostende, and Reims. He was Reims’ Player of the Year a season in the past.
Faes joined Leicester City this season for a switch payment reportedly price £15 million. His contract is for a five-year deal.
Faes was additionally a member of his nation’s World Cup crew final month, though he didn’t make an look for Belgium throughout their run of play in Qatar.
Still, by any use of the phrase, he’s an elite soccer participant.
But you possibly can guess Faes wish to neglect Friday’s match in opposition to Liverpool.
In the span of simply seven minutes, Faes scored not one, however two, personal targets, turning a 1-0 Leicester City lead right into a 2-1 deficit to Liverpool. The first got here on a freakish bounce off an tried clearance from Faes, tying the match at 1-1:
Then, simply minutes later, Faes raced again to try to assist as his keeper was pressured to return off the road. A chip shot from Darwin Núñez outdoors the field was bouncing in direction of the web, and ricocheted off the appropriate publish.
Directly into Faes’s path:
Liverpool held on for the 2-1 victory, maintaining them sixth within the EPL desk. Leicester City’s loss retains them within the backside third, simply 4 factors away from the drop zone.
Again, Faes is by any manner you take a look at it an elite participant.
But Friday was simply not his day.