Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers says 'suffering makes you better' after derailed title challenge
Monday 2 March 2020 15:31, UK
Brendan Rodgers says "suffering makes you better" after Leicester fell away from the Premier League title race despite a strong start to the season.
The Foxes went toe to toe with Liverpool up to December before being beating 4-0 by Jurgen Klopp's side on Boxing Day, and there are now 29 points separating third-placed Leicester and the league leaders.
A 1-0 loss to Norwich on Friday night was the latest dent in Leicester's domestic ambitions, but Rodgers believes the players will benefit as much from struggle as they do from success.
"It's part of the experience," Rodgers said at Monday's press conference. "It's something that you have to go through because in football you're never going to have it all your own way.
"Right until the middle of December it was a great period for us. But then you have to suffer, and that's important because suffering will make you better.
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"This is the great challenge that we have now, going into this last part of the season, you have to learn from that.
"I always say there's nothing that beats experience, and they've gone through it now.
"We were given some harsh lessons in one or two of the games - the likes of Liverpool here and Man City away. But I think we responded to that in the Man City game here, so it's that learning.
"The players I'm sure would have watched the [Carabao Cup] final yesterday with half a mind thinking that they should have been there, but you have to earn it and that's what football's about.
"You have to prove yourself every day in training and in every game and then you get what you deserve.
"It's having those not-so-good experiences as well as all the other good experiences that help you develop both on the field and mentally."
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Before Leicester resume their Premier League campaign against Aston Villa on Monday Night Football on March 9, they take on Birmingham in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
Rodgers said Birmingham have plenty of threats in their squad to cause problems for Leicester, singling out Jude Bellingham as a "special talent".
"They've got some talented players, in particular they've got a young boy Bellingham who at 16 years of age is an absolutely phenomenal player," he said.
"For a kid at 16 years of age to show that quality and personality to play, and the talent alongside that is incredible really.
"He's probably had about over 30 appearances I would say in the Championship so far.
"You're a special talent if you're playing in a really competitive league for a club like Birmingham City which is a big club.
"I've followed him, I've seen some of the games that they've played and he's played in different positions, so it shows you his view of the game as a young footballer is to a very high level.
"The big standout for me is how competitive he is. For a young player of 16 physically he's good in the game but he's very competitive, and for a young player coming into a man's game that's a big help.
"He's clearly got a very bright future ahead of him."
