Wilfred Ndidi, the Nigerian international and former Leicester City midfielder, has expressed his delight following his successful debut for Turkish Süper Lig club Besiktas. Ndidi made his first appearance for the Istanbul-based team in their 2-1 home victory over Eyupspor on Sunday night, marking a positive start to his new chapter after transferring from England’s Sky Bet Championship.
The 28-year-old started the match and played for 70 minutes before being substituted due to a knock. Despite the minor injury, Ndidi praised the electrifying atmosphere created by the Besiktas supporters, pointing out how the fans’ energy helped the team rally after the score was tied at 1-1.
“The atmosphere was great. The support from our fans was fantastic. When the score was 1-1, we showed real team spirit and their backing pushed us to fight for the second goal. It was a great day, we feel fantastic,” Ndidi told reporters after the match.
The Nigerian midfielder is anticipated to continue featuring prominently, with expectations high for his involvement in the upcoming UEFA Europa Conference League playoff tie against Lausanne scheduled for Thursday.
Ndidi’s arrival at Besiktas, where he joins under the management of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, is seen as a strategic addition to bolster the team’s midfield strength. His strong tackling, work rate, and experience are expected to greatly improve Besiktas’ defensive resilience and overall team balance this season.
This move ends an eight-year stint at Leicester City for Ndidi, where he was a crucial midfield presence before deciding to take on a new challenge in Turkey.
The Nigerian football community and fans will be eagerly following Ndidi’s progress as he embarks on this new phase of his career in the Süper Lig.