Leicester's Ricardo Pereira full of praise for Chelsea-bound coach Enzo Maresca

A Portuguese international on seven occasions, Ricardo Pereira has been regularly called up by Fernando Santos, but has yet to make Roberto Martínez's list. After a spell in the Championship, the defender is preparing to return to the Premier League and hopes to be part of Portugal's squad in the future.

"In the second division you don't get as much exposure, but if I keep performing well I might get my chance," he said in an interview with Spanish newspaper MARCA.

The defender went through a complicated injury that led to a long spell on the sidelines due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, but he already feels close to the level he showed in the past.

"I don't know if my current version is better than 2019 (when he was voted Leicester's best player), because I play in different positions and it's difficult to compare, but I'm closer than ever to my best level," he analysed.

After a positive season at club level too (promotion to the Premier League and winning the Championship), Ricardo Pereira praised Enzo Maresca, the Foxes' coach who is about to leave for Chelsea.

"Tactically he's very good, the best coach I've ever had. His way of playing is complex, but the way he explains it makes it look easy. We all know what we have to do. There's something of Pep (Guardiola) about him. He wants to have possession, he wants to come out from the back...", he said.

"I like that he's direct. He keeps a player's mentality and tells you how it is. He takes a lot of care of those who play less and that's important," he added.