A different kind of animal

This is the man who doesn’t understand the meaning of the phrase ‘short pass’. This is the man whose weak header almost let in Ipswich Town at the weekend. This is the man who is touching 32-years-old and can’t run anymore.

But we don’t care. Wayne Brown is certainly a different kind of animal. Ask around a few Leicester fans these days and you’ll find a growing love for the centre back signed on a permanent deal from Hull City in the summer.

This also happens to be the man who’s keeping out our highly-rated Bulgarian international centre back Aleksander Tunchev. I guess you could call Brown one of those ‘old-school’ centre backs, one of those men who would probably look better placed regulating the behaviour of those who can’t handle their alcohol in a club.

You wouldn’t want to argue with him anyway. Or go near him even. Because let’s face it, you would lose. Wayne is one of the reasons why our defence should be up there with the best come the end of this season (yes, I’m putting it out there early).

Manager Nigel Pearson is clearly an admirer, and there are many good reasons for it. By the end of the season there will more than likely be an expansive list of players put into the stands by Wayne Brown. It’s quite possible that in Brown, Pearson sees a player possessing similar qualities as himself back in the day.

Whilst pre-season talk was heaping praise upon the talented duo of Tunchev and Jack Hobbs (rightly so I must add), it may emerge this season that Brown is the man to keep those pesky Championship strikers at bay. On current form this may be the case, as the Barking-born defender continues to act the rock at the heart of City’s defence alongside Hobbs.

This lower-league journeyman may finally have found his peak form since his involvement in Hull’s promotion to the Premier League. Whilst he may not be the greatest player in the world, there is no questioning the commitment and desire to play for this team. One of the possible unsung heroes of the season, Wayne Brown is a vital cog in the Leicester City system.