Amartey: Schmeichel’s words inspired Leicester turnaround

Claudio Ranieri may have been named coach of the year at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards, but Daniel Amartey admitted it was goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel who gave the side a dressing down at the weekend.

The Premier League champions found themselves two goals down after Jamie Vardy was sent off early on against Stoke City.

But a different Foxes side came out after the interval, and after Leonardo Ulloa nodded in with 16 minutes to play, Amartey’s 88th-minute header – his first goal for the club – sealed an unlikely point.

And the midfielder insists some honest words during half-time and the impact of replacements Ulloa and Demarai Gray were the key catalyst behind the comeback.

“When we went in at half-time, Claudio [Ranieri] talked to us, but Kasper [Schmeichel] talked to us too and we all talked to each other,” he said.

“We said we have to come back and fight together to get two goals.

“It’s hard to play with 11 men and when you are short one player it’s very difficult, but we came back and we were disciplined.

“I’m very happy to score and the team needed it. I went straight to the fans because at 2-0 down they were still singing. It was good to go and celebrate with them.

“I’m very happy for Demarai [Gray] and the others that came on. They changed the game for us. You have to be ready for every game on the pitch because you don’t know what will happen.”