Top Facts about Wilfred Ndidi, The Fan Favorite Brick Wall

Since former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers took charge at Leicester City, the team has progressed dramatically and has become a consistent top-four challenger.

While attacking players like Harvey Barnes, James Maddison, and Kelechi Iheanacho have been outstanding for the Foxes the previous seasons, one of their most important players over the last couple of seasons has been the Nigerian defensive midfielder Wilfred Ndidi.

The Nigerian international, who was born in Lagos, began his career as a full-back but has progressed to become one of the finest in the Premier League at his position, which is to protect his defense and break up rival advances. His background as a center-back has also aided him in becoming one of the greatest defensive midfielders in the Premier League.

Ndidi is a defensive midfielder who plays conservatively and has limited attacking responsibility for Leicester. However, he has improved to become an aggressive player who assists his teammates. The Nigerian international has improved his offensive senses and refined his ability to read and utilize spaces under Rodgers' guidance.

His main task on the pitch is to protect the backline, and he is physically powerful and adept at defending. Rodgers trusted him and hence always used him when he was fit.

Ndidi prefers to retrieve the ball through tackling, interceptions, or recoveries, and then pass it off to better-positioned players to begin attacks. If he senses a chance, Ndidi frequently looks to play the ball in behind the opposition's defense. He once said in an interview:

“For me, I want to work harder and win more trophies with my club and national team. The personal recognitions come when the team is doing well. So, for me, I just want to win with the team and the individual accolades will come. I am a team player, and I just want to win.”

Top Facts about Wilfred Ndidi Worth Reading

Have a look at the information provided below to get started.

Quick Facts

• Full Name:

   Onyinye Wilfred Ndidi

• Nicknames:

   Brick Wall, Teddy Bear

• Date of Birth:

   16 December 1996

• Place of Birth:

   Lagos, Nigeria

• Age:

   24

• Nationality:

   Nigerian

• Height:

   1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)

• Weight:

   80 kg

• Marital Status:

   Married

• Wife: 

  Dinma Fortune

• Market Value: 

  30.3 Million Euro (25 Million Pound)

• Position:

   Defensive midfielder

• Current Team:

   Leicester City

• Jersey Number:

   25

Wilfred Ndidi Upbringing Years and Family Roots

To begin, Onyinye Wilfred Ndidi is his complete name. Ndidi was born on December 16, 1996, in Lagos, Nigeria, to his father (a serving military man at the time of writing) and mother, a trader.

He was the firstborn of three children and the only son. This translates to "he has two sisters."

Ndidi grew up at the Military Cantonment in Ikeja, Lagos, as the son of a military man.

One of the Top Facts about Wilfred Ndidi is that he began playing football at the Command Children School, which provided him with the opportunity to play soccer during sports times.

Our version of Wilfred Ndidi's childhood story is unique, to say the least. It's about a little boy who had a difficult childhood and defied all obstacles set against him by his military father.

The young lad had a strong desire to make his aspirations come true since he was in primary school, and his ambitions were not just a passing fancy. 

The turning point in Ndidi's youth involves him defying his father's desires, who never wanted him to become a footballer, another one of the Top Facts about Wilfred Ndidi. As he puts it:

“My father was not really into football because of his Military job. My dad watched it on the television on a few occasions but he didn’t want me to play football.

Despite him being a soldier, he still never want me to follow in his footsteps. He just wanted me to go to school.

I did miss out on schooling because of football. Since my dad’s military life came with lots of postings and distance away from the family, I took that opportunity and moved to Nath Boys Academy without his knowledge.

This time, going to school became totally off my mind because I trusted my abilities.

He only got to know when Nigeria called me for the 2013 African U-17 Championship. That time, he gave me fatherly blessings and full support.”

Wilfred Ndidi Career Buildout & Path to Prominence

Ndidi used to play striker for Nath Boys Academy, where he was older than his peers. He attributed his toughness on the field to the knocks he took as a kid from older players.

The kid rose through the ranks of Nath Boys Academy's football team, eventually becoming their greatest player. It wasn't long before he received the shock of his life when he was selected to play for

at the 2013 African U-17 Championship.

Because of his support role, he entered the tournament as a central midfielder. One of the Top Facts about Wilfred Ndidi is that his brilliance at the championship drew scouts from Belgium, who lured him away from West Africa and into Genk.

Nath Boys Academy and Genk agreed on a €180,000 transfer deal on January 14, 2015. The transaction was finalized on January 15, 2015.

Ndidi made his Belgian Pro League debut for

on January 31, 2015, in a 1–0 away loss to Charleroi. He started the game and played 74 minutes before being replaced by Jarne Vrijsen.

The youngster netted a long-range goal against Club Brugge in the Belgian League playoff game, which was selected as the Belgian league's goal of the season.

He lofted the ball expertly over an opposing player after receiving an attempted clearance outside the penalty area before unleashing a fierce volley into the top right corner.

The ball was estimated to be traveling at a speed of over 111 kilometers per hour, another one of the

Top Facts about Wilfred Ndidi.

Wilfred Ndidi Ascend to Prominence

That fabulous goal prompted English champions to examine him as a prospective

replacement.

KRC Genk paid around £78,000 for the teenage Ndidi but made a tidy profit when he was sold to Leicester City for a reputed £15 million less than two years later.

Ahmed Musa, a fellow countryman, helped him in settling in Leicester, one of the Top Facts about Wilfred Ndidi. Ndidi puts it like this:

“Musa drives me around. If we have an away game, he picks me up and drives me to the airport, during breaks, he drives me showing me stuffs around town. At this moment, I don’t have my driving license and still don’t know how to drive.”

Genk and

agreed to a £17 million transfer on December 3, 2016. The agreement was finalized on January 5, 2017.

Ndidi, unlike

and Kelechi Iheanacho, quickly adapted to Leicester City.

The footballer made his first appearance for the club on January 7, 2017, in a 2–1 FA Cup third-round victory over Everton.

On 14 January 2017, he made his Premier League debut against Chelsea at home in a 3–0 defeat. 

On February 8, 2017, Ndidi came on in the first half of extra time against Derby County in the English FA Cup and netted his first goal for Leicester with a long-range strike.

He won 11 of his 14 tackles in a 3–1 win over Liverpool on February 27, 2017, a feat only equaled by

's N'Golo Kante, who made 14 tackles against the same club in January, another one of the Top Facts about Wilfred Ndidi.

During Leicester's 3–0 home defeat to Crystal Palace on December 16, 2017, Ndidi was sent off for the first time in his career.

On August 18, 2019, he scored Leicester's first goal of the 2019–20 season in a 2-2 tie with Chelsea.

The Nigerian started at center-back in Leicester City's opening

game of the 2020–21 season on September 13, 2020, and kept a clean sheet in a 3–0 win over West Bromwich Albion.

On September 20, 2020, Ndidi had an adductor injury and was ruled out for 6–12 weeks. On December 3, he made his comeback in Leicester's Europa League loss to Zorya Luhansk.

Ndidi produced his first goal of the season in Leicester City's league match against Chelsea on January 19, 2021. Leicester won the match 2–0 and climbed to the top of the Premier League table.

The midfielder was a member of the Nigerian youth setup during his stay at Nathaniel Boys of Lagos, which led to his international career.

He was forced to withdraw from the African U-17 Championship with Nigeria, along with two other players, as a precaution, after an MRI age test revealed he was just slightly over the age limit.

Despite this, he joined his teammates in the U-20 team the next year, becoming the midfield's basis.

On 8 October 2015, he was called up to

, making his debut in a friendly against DR Congo and returning a few days later in a 3–0 triumph against Cameroon, replacing

in the 63rd minute.

Nigeria named him to their 35-man provisional team for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

He was nominated to Nigeria's preliminary 30-man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia in May of that year.

He was included in Nigeria's 2019 African Cup of Nations roster and appeared in the team's first match against Burundi.

Wilfred Ndidi Personal & Love Life

After dating for numerous years, even before becoming a professional footballer, the Super Eagles star married Dinma Fortune in May 2019. Ndidi and Dinma have a one-year-old daughter together.

“I met her through a friend. She was actually walking with a friend, and I was going for a training, and everything connected at once.

Having a family has made me want to work even harder on and off the pitch,” Ndidi said in an interview.

The footballer recently celebrated his wife's birthday by hosting a multi-day vacation with his friends and family at a resort in Ghana, one of the

Top Facts about Wilfred Ndidi.

Dinma, Ndidi's wife, has a master's degree from Coventry University in Tourism, International Crime, and Global Security.

She is also in charge of the midfielder's endorsements and commercial concerns. Further on his personal life, Ndidi, who plays for Leicester City in England, balances his football career with his studies at De Montfort University in Leicester, where he is pursuing a business degree.

The 24-year-old said in a recent interview that his wife persuaded him to return to school. “The whole idea came from my wife.

She actually pushed me to. She kept pushing me to enroll in school,” the midfielder told Guardian Nigeria in a cover story on its Guardian Life Magazine cover. “My dad was also calling for me to go to school, but I got the pressure more from my wife.”

Wilfred Ndidi Networth & LifeStyle

The defensive midfielder signed a contract with Leicester City in August 2018 that pays him a whopping 4.5 million Euro (3.9 million Pound) per year.

According to calculations, he earns €12,295 (£10,554) per day and €512 (£440) per hour! This indicates that the ordinary man would have to work for at least 10.7 years to earn the same amount that Didi does in a month, one of the Top Facts about Wilfred Ndidi.

After exploding onto the spotlight with Belgian side Genk, the Nigerian midfielder secured his first big money contract with Leicester City, putting his net worth at an estimated €30.3 million (£25 million).

The man from Lagos, who has developed into a great player and still has many years ahead of him, has a market value of around £54.00 million.

Wilfred Ndidi Family

Wilfred Ndidi's swift assimilation to European life and football was facilitated significantly by a Belgian couple, Theo van Vlierden and his wife, Marleen, who adopted the rising star upon his debut at Genk in 2015, one of the Top Facts about Wilfred Ndidi.

The pair tells Punch NewsPaper's 'TANA AIYEJINA' about their initial contact with Ndidi and how they have since lived as one happy family. The following is a summary of the interview:

How and when did you get to know Wilfred?

Theo: That was the beginning of January 2014 when Wilfred arrived in Belgium for his two-month test period with KRC Genk. At that moment he was still a young guy, just 17 years old.

The first three or four days he arrived, he was staying in a hotel. But there was a lack of hospitality space and KRC Genk called us with the request if we wanted to take Wilfred to our home for a few weeks. My wife and I looked at each other, we didn’t say anything and we nodded our heads, which meant yes.

What was your first impression of him and what attracted your family to him?

Marleen: I think our first impression of Wilfred was that of a shy and timid boy. We immediately thought it must be very cold in his summer clothes, it was winter and very cold. His shy smile and pearly white teeth did the rest and we agree.

How challenging was it for him to adapt to life in Europe?

Theo: Of course it’s a big challenge for every boy of that age to adapt to a foreign country. But I must say that he has adapted quickly to life here and even in England. When he first got to Belgium, he felt quite at home after just a few weeks. We also told him several times what he should do when he was at home and he was a part of our family.

How much do you know about his roots?

Theo: We know something about his roots. We saw some pictures of his mother, father, and two younger sisters. Of course, we know something about Nigerian society and we see also the news on TV.

They say Wilfred is such a charming personality, do you agree?

Marleen: Yes, we fully agree. Wilfred is a charming personality. Always good-humored, friendly, and polite. Not only in our home but also towards other people. He is loved by the KRC Genk staff, his teammates, and the fans.

With his amazing talents and personality, how far do you think Wilfred can get as a footballer?

Theo: We strongly believe Wilfred will go very far as a football player. If his attitude keeps focused on football, he will make progress. For sure, I do not believe that this is his final station.

Wilfred Ndidi Less-Known Details

And in the last section of the

Top Facts about Wilfred Ndidi

article, we bring some facts that not many people know of.

His Idols

Ndidi has been a die-hard Chelsea supporter since he was a child. He grew up supporting Didier Drogba, John Terry, and his favorite, John Obi Mikel, who pushed him to pursue a career in football. Ndidi told Goal:

“I have always looked up to Mikel,” Ndidi told Goal. “When he was at Chelsea, I was at Nath Boys (as a youth player) and I have always liked him as a player.

I have always been crazy about Mikel. The way he plays is amazing. In Nigeria, When I and my friends talk about players, we always want to talk about Mikel.

He is so important for Nigerian football. I actually liked one player outside of Africa (when I was younger), that’s Ricardo Kaka.

Zodiac Sign

The Nigerian was born in 1996. That makes him a Rat in the Chinese zodiac culture.

Rats have good discretion in what they do because they have excellent vision and a sharp perspective, which allows them to avoid unneeded issues.

They are careful and meticulous, therefore they approach their work with a serious demeanor.

Rats, in general, are healthy. They are energetic and active, which helps them maintain their athleticism and avoid disease.

People born in Rat years have a diverse social circle due to their active nature. They are interested in attending a variety of social gatherings.

They enjoy making new friends, but they rarely maintain those friendships. Rats have a pleasant appearance that can draw in more companions.

Rats find it easy to start a new relationship with someone, but they also find it easy to break up relationships, which leads to infidelity issues.

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