Praet: Games With Family, LCFC Group Chats & Foxes Highlights

- Dennis Praet catches up with LCFC TV while following guidance to remain at home
- The Belgian midfielder is enjoying spending quality time with his family
- However, Praet admits he is missing day-to-day life with his Leicester City team-mates
- The 25-year-old also calls for people to continue following instructions from the Government

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, everybody has been advised to remain indoors as much as possible, in order to protect the NHS and to save lives.

City's first team stars are no different and Praet, who joined the Club from Italian side U.C. Sampdoria last summer, is spending the time with family and catching up on television series. 

"I’m here with my family, so I’m in good company, but of course, it’s not the best period that we are in now, but it’s okay, we have to get through it," the 25-year-old told LCFC TV.

"I’m a family guy, so I’m enjoying this time, but of course, I miss all of the normal attitudes we have in our life, so it’s a strange time.

"I am watching a lot of series, a lot of movies. I’m spending a lot of my time with my family, playing some games at home.

"I loved the last season of Money Heist, or Casa de Papel in Spanish, because it’s a Spanish serial, and I also enjoyed the third season of Ozark a lot.

"For me, it was the best season from the three, so those are two series I think that I can suggest for the people."

Praet and his colleagues are staying in touch by using video chat calls to compensate for not seeing each other on a day-to-day basis at Leicester's training ground.

"There is a big group chat with the whole team and we are all keeping in touch," he added. "They are the moments that we are in touch, but I haven’t seen them for a long time, so it’s strange.

"It’s hard because you are used to seeing them every day, almost every day. We train together, eat together, and now I haven’t seen them for more than one month.

"I’m following the [fitness] programme that Leicester gave me; a lot of running because we have to keep in shape of course. I guess, they are the things that I’m doing mostly.

"They are following us up really well. Every one or two days, we are in contact and we get special runs, interval training, or power training, core training, so we are trying to keep in shape."

Reflecting on the early days of his Foxes career to date, Praet says he takes huge satisfaction from his time in England so far, which has seen City climb to third in the Premier League.

"I’ve enjoyed it a lot," the Leuven-born midfielder continued. "I’m very happy with this season that we are playing at this moment. Of course, it’s not yet over, but I've enjoyed it with the lads.

"They welcomed me very well and very fast and I enjoy the training. I enjoy the games, I enjoy the team-mates, so I’m very happy.

"I think the pace and the tempo in the Premier League is really high. I came from Italy, from Serie A, and I have to say that the pace in the Premier League is a bit higher.

"In Italy, there is more tactical drills, so I had to adjust to that pace, but I think that I did well and I improved in the season. I was always getting better, so I think that it’s going well."

One of the highlights for Praet was an exquisite pass during the 1-0 victory at Brentford in the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round, which enabled James Justin to lay it up for Kelechi Iheanacho. 

Collecting the ball in the middle of the pitch, the former Anderlecht midfielder threaded the eye of a needle to locate Justin, who in turn crossed for Iheanacho to net the only goal of the game.

"I remember I received the ball from Christian Fuchs, I’m not sure, and I saw JJ (James Justin) running from the back and I did a good pass," Praet remembered. 

"It needed a perfect centre to score, so it was also an important pass, of course, because we won that game 0-1, so it was good to have that win.

"You have to believe in your ability to give that pass, of course. I’m not a player who will force that pass too quickly because having possession is also important in a game.

"But in the right moment, and if you think the pass is possible, it’s important to make those dangerous passes that can lead to dangerous actions and to goals."

Finally, Praet underlined the sentiments of his Leicester team-mates, imploring people to continue to remain indoors as the NHS confronts the challenge posed by COVID-19.

"I think that’s obvious, of course," he added, explaining the importance of following the Government's stay-at-home guidelines. "I think we need to stay at home at the moment.

"We have to get rid of this pandemic and it’s so important to keep our distance and to stay at home so it goes away as soon as possible and everybody can get their normal lives back again."