Leicester City’s Danny Drinkwater is determined to impress against his former club Manchester United on Sunday – despite being an avid fan of the Reds.
The 24-year-old rose up through the academy ranks at United, but failed to make a single first-team appearance, before moving to Leicester in 2012.
The midfielder has since gone on to make over 100 appearances for The Foxes, and was named their player of the season during their Championship title tilt last-term.
While Louis Van Gaal’s indifferent start to his tenure at twenty-times league champions United has been well publicised, Nigel Pearson’s Leicester resilient start to life in the top flight has gone largely unnoticed.
And United fan Drinkwater is confident that he and his teammates have enough quality to present Van Gaal’s side with a taxing challenge this weekend, despite the Old Trafford outfit having convincingly dispatched QPR 4-0 in their last outing.
“There’s a good balance in our squad and we’re all excited about the challenges this season,” Drinkwater told MUTV ahead of his first appearance against his former side.
“We’ve had a few tough games so far but we’ve more than put ourselves about.
“It’s about keeping that going and staying on track.”
And Drinkwater is not the only ex-United player to have settled at the King Power Stadium.
Ritchie De Laet and Matty James are both key players for Pearson, while Nick Powell, Danny Simpson and Tom Lawrence are the latest players to arrive in the Midlands.
“It’s great, and it’s made it easy for them [ex-United players] to settle in,” Drinkwater added.
The United fan also admitted that although playing against his boyhood club will be an alien experience, he is keenly anticipating the occasion, which could see him line up against United new-boys Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao.
“I’ll have to take it in my stride because if you get fazed, it only has a negative effect, so I’ll be getting on with my game and not concentrating on the big names.
“Louis van Gaal has changed an awful lot – for the better it would seem – it’s exciting as a fan.
“I suppose Sunday’s going to be a bit mad for me being a United fan but I’m looking forward to it.
“Hopefully, my family will be supporting Leicester because of me but they’re United fans as well. I like the Reds to win wherever they go but not this time!”
Image courtesy of LCFC via YouTube, with thanks.
