James Maddison the star as Leicester battle back to beat Huddersfield

Leicester City 3-1 Huddersfield Town: A figure from England’s past and potentially one from their future helped top-half Leicester past struggling Huddersfield

A figure from England’s past and potentially one from their future helped Leicester City kill off Huddersfield with James Maddison and Jamie Vardy turning on the style.

Maddison, who hopes his big-money move to the Midlands can help him catch the eye of Gareth Southgate, scored a fine free-kick to give the Foxes a 2-1 lead against David Wagner’s side.

And Vardy, who this month called time on his brief international career, produced his own moment of quality to seal a vital victory for Claude Puel, the seemingly always-under-pressure Leicester manager.

The home side had trailed to Mathias ‘Zanka’ Jorgensen’s early goal to raise fears of a further inquest into Puel’s methods following last weekend’s humbling at Bournemouth.

But a crisp finish from Kelechi Iheanacho drew Puel’s men level before half-time, allowing Maddison and Vardy to seal the points deservedly for the home side after the interval.

It took less than five minutes for Huddersfield to sneak ahead as Leicester failed to deal with a long throw by Philip Billing.

It was flicked on by Laurent Depoitre to the unmarked ‘Zanka’, who beat Kasper Schmeichel with a firm, low finish.

Leicester responded immediately with Jamie Vardy seeing a header deflected behind for a corner.

Huddersfield took the lead (Getty)

Yet, having struggled for early cohesion, the hosts were level on 19 minutes thanks to careless play by the visitors and a pacy counter-attack.

Huddersfield twice lost possession in midfield with Aaron Mooy and Erik Durm the guilty parties, allowing James Maddison to spring a Leicester break through Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy, who both broke from inside their own half.

Vardy showed good composure to delay has pass for Iheanacho, who produced a crisp finish into the bottom corner.

And six minutes later the home side could have led when Vardy peeled away from the Huddersfield wall to meet a chipped Maddison free-kick, only to drag his shot fractionally wide.

Iheanacho grabbed the leveller (Getty)

Leicester made a determined start to the second half and went close to taking the lead on 57 minutes when Huddersfield squandered possession on halfway and Ben Chilwell surged forward on the counter-attack.

He threaded a pass into Vardy, whose first-time shot drew a smart, near-post save from goalkeeper Jonas Lossl.

Moments later it was the power of Chilwell that created the next Leicester opening as he collected Maddison’s pass and crossed for Iheanacho, who drifted into space but sent his first-time effort narrowly wide.

But it was the Terriers who ought to have led just after the hour-mark when they caught Leicester horribly square with a direct counter-attack.

Maddison scored a wonderful goal (Getty)

Rajiv van la Parra released Depoitre, who raced clear of a flat-footed Jonny Evans and appeared to have only Kasper Schmeichel to beat, only for Harry Maguire to track back and produce a crucial challenge, which was rewarded moments later as Maddison gave his side the lead.

Nampalys Mendy was fouled as he charged towards goal and Maddison took charge, bending a right-footed free-kick from 25 yards over the Huddersfield wall and through the grasp of Lossl.

Moments later Iheanacho sent a long-range effort narrowly over as Leicester tried to put the game to bed.

Half-time substitute Demarai Gray was the next to try his luck at killing off the visitors, weaving his way through two challenges and hitting a curling shot that drew a smart save from Lossl.

Vardy made sure of the win (Getty)

Vardy finally applied the killer touch, however, with 14 minutes remaining.

Huddersfield squandered possession cheaply out wide and looked ragged in defence as Iheanacho’s perfectly-weighted through-ball sent Vardy clear to beat Lossl with a sublime chip for 3-1.

Mooy curled a long-range effort over the crossbar in stoppage time but Wagner’s men rarely looked capable of troubling Leicester, for whom substitute Shinji Okazaki drew a smart save from Lossl in the dying seconds.