MX23RW : Wednesday, January 1 17:37:31| >> :120:32618:32618:

Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri praises 'hard-working' Shinji Okazaki

Ranieri praises 'hard-working' Okazaki
© SilverHub
Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri says that Shinji Okazaki is the "dilly ding, dilly dong" of the team.

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has described 'hard-working' Shinji Okazaki as the "dilly ding, dilly dong" of the team.

The Foxes claimed a historic Premier League title triumph last season, but they have struggled for victories in the 2016-17 campaign.

After two defeats and a draw, the Foxes managed to find a win by beating Crystal Palace 3-1 at the King Power Stadium.

Okazaki earned his first start since September 10 in the match at the weekend and found the back of the net, which has prompted Ranieri to speak of the 30-year-old's importance to the team.

"He is a hard worker - sometimes he's not so close to goal but when the ball is around the box Shinji is always there," Ranieri told reporters. "He is important for team because he presses a lot - he is our dilly ding, dilly dong. He wakes up our players, he has the bell!"

Okazaki also covered 11.66km during the game, which is more than Jamie Vardy has run this season.

ID:284116: cacheID:284116:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2061:
Written by
Danielle Joynson
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri yells instructions during his side's 1-0 win over Porto in Group G of the Champions League on September 27, 2016
Read Next:
Ranieri hails 'best performance of season'
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool18143145172845
2Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest1911442619737
3Arsenal18106235161936
4Chelsea19105438231535
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle1995532211132
6Manchester CityMan City199463226631
7Bournemouth198652923630
8Fulham197842825329
9Aston Villa198562831-329
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton196942928127
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1973941281324
12Brentford187383232024
13West Ham UnitedWest Ham196582335-1223
14Manchester UnitedMan Utd196492126-522
15Crystal Palace194872027-720
16Everton183871524-917
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1944113142-1116
18Ipswich TownIpswich1936101833-1515
19Leicester CityLeicester1935112242-2014
20Southampton1913151239-276


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!