'I'll give my defenders a tenner if they keep a clean sheet,' says Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri

Foxes boss quotes Rudyard Kipling to enthuse about youth prospect Joseph Dodoo after stunning hat-trick

Samuel Stevens
Thursday 27 August 2015 15:45 BST
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Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has told his defenders he will give them a ten pound bonus if they keep a clean sheet at AFC Bournemouth this weekend.

The newly-promoted Cherries hit four past West Ham United last weekend to secure their first Premier League victory while Leicester are yet to shut the opposition out this season.

Ranieri is delighted by his side's start to the new campaign, as the Foxes sit in unfamiliar ground in the top four ahead of the international break, and the Italian is prepared to reward his players financially - albeit with spare change.

"I love a clean sheet," he said. "Maybe I will pay a tenner to all my players when they get a clean sheet."

Joseph Dodoo made a name for himself at Bury

The Foxes are unbeaten following wins over Sunderland and Slavan Bilić's Hammers before last weekend's 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur while academy graduate Joseph Dodoo fired them to a 4-1 win over Bury in the Capital One Cup.

But Ranieri is still on the look-out for a new wide man to provide cover for the enigmatic Riyad Mahrez and Marc Albrighton and has been linked with a move for Birmingham City winger Demarai Gray.

Reports that Leicester have met the 19-year-old's reported £4.7m release clause appear premature but the former Chelsea boss appeared unwilling to deny the rumours out of hand.

Demarai Gray scored a wonder goal against Leicester in pre-season

"You know I don’t speak about speculation, I only speak when a player arrives. There are some good players like him, it is not only him."

Dodoo, who scored a hat-trick at Gigg Lane in midweek, will travel to the South Coast this weekend to improve his 'understanding' of the rigours of first-team football.

"A club like Leicester lives with its young players," Ranieri added. "For us it is important to build and also look to young players to help us in the future. It is the same, the first team and the academy works together.

"That is fantastic, but Joe must forget everything now. There is a good poem by [Rudyard] Kipling: the winner and loser is the same. Dodoo comes with us to Bournemouth to understand everything."

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