Brendan Rodgers defends Wesley Fofana and claims new Chelsea signing was not behind statement slamming Leicester City

Brendan Rodgers has defended former Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana (Pictures: Getty)

Brendan Rodgers has defended ‘good kid’ Wesley Fofana and claims Chelsea’s new signing was not responsible for a statement he released in which he slammed his former club Leicester City.

After completing a £70m move to Stamford Bridge, Fofana accused Leicester of making ‘false and misleading comments’ over the protracted transfer.

Fofana, who has signed a seven-year deal with Chelsea, said: ‘Thanks to the managers, to the coach who has always appreciated me, even if he chose to expose me a lot lately.

‘I chose not to communicate during this transfer window despite all the criticism and all the often false and misleading comments, even when they were coming from the club.

‘I understood and I learned. I didn’t want to damage the image of the institution and I chose to take it rather than answer.’

Rodgers insists he does not hold a grudge with Fofana, however, and has placed the blame at ‘other influences’ in the player’s support network.

Speaking ahead of Leicester’s Premier League clash with Manchester United on Thursday night, Rodgers told BT Sport: ‘I will always defend players and I will defend Wesley.

‘A lot has been said about him and what was said. I try not to get too emotional. I know where the statement came from and I know it wasn’t Wesley Fofana. He is a good kid.

‘We brought him in here, no one knew him. He played for us, he was amazing. We wanted him to stay but he’s taken the possibility to go.

‘It’s a shame for us and it’s a shame how it ended but he’s a good guy and I know other influences have taken him away from the club.’

Fofana was left out of Leicester’s squad for their Premier League fixtures against Southampton and Chelsea last month as Blues owner Todd Boehly targeted a deal.

The French defender would later refuse to turn up to Leicester training as he attempted to force through his move to west London.

Rodgers said at the time: ‘These guys get well paid. The very least you can do is turn up. And if you don’t, with all due respect, you can’t then just think you can walk into our group.

‘But like I say, within day to day, he’s a good kid – it’s just been hard for him to deal with everything, and whilst he’s in that frame of mind, it’s been difficult for him to play.’

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