In a nerve breaking moment, Leicester City almost had their joy of sitting on top of the Premier League shattered as one of it’s very good and young players almost lost his life in an accident.
In just a few steps from, he would have walked into a dangerously spinning helicopter rotor blade without knowing it. The player who featured as a substitute in the teams 4-0 thrashing of Swansea, would have been of blessed memory if he was not called to action by a good Samaritan nearby.
The football team flew to London on Sunday to attend the PFA Awards events which almost turned out disastrous.
Demarai Gray narrowly avoided death when he came within inches of a helicopter blade. Worse still, he didn’t realize the mistake until a steward screamed out warnings. He would have been decapitated in a moment if the airport official wasn’t there at that very moment.
The £3.7m winger arrived Leicester from Birmingham in January.
The quick-thinking steward dressed in high vis jacket has been called a hero for saving Gray’s life and leading him to safety at the Battersea Heliport in London
Riyad Mahrez looked on helplessly at the moment in what looked like a scene from an action movie. The Algerian national team player was later crowned Player of the Year.
Riyad Mahrez became the first African to be named English football’s player of the year on Sunday.
The 25-year-old Mahrez is also the only the second winner of the PFA award from outside England. Uruguay striker Luis Suarez won it in 2014 while playing for Liverpool.
Riyad Mahrez was born on 21 February, 1991. He his career as a youth player for French club AAS Sarcelles. He turned professional in 2009 with Quimper, where he played for only one season before moving to Le Havre, spending a total of three years with them. He initially played for their reserve team and then becoming a first-team regular.
In January 2014, Mahrez signed for English side Leicester City, helping them win the Football League Championship and promotion to the Premier League at the end of his first season.
In the 2015–16 season he was the Algerian Footballer of the Year, the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, and was a member of the Premier League PFA Team of the Year.
Mahrez made his international debut for Algeria in 2014 and represented them at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
Speaking with excitement for the recognition, Mahrez said: “I’m very grateful to receive this award.
“It’s extra special because if the players vote for me, it’s because they’ve seen I’ve been great this year, so I’m happy. But it’s more team things. Without my teammates I wouldn’t get this award.
“And for my manager and the staff – without them I wouldn’t receive this award and I wouldn’t score. It’s the team spirit, and I want to dedicate it to them.
“It’s extra special because if the players vote for me it’s because they’ve seen I’ve been great this year so I’m happy.”
Players Mahrez, Jamie Vardy and N’Golo Kante were all nominated for awards at the event.
Leicester City’s management chartered a fleet of five helicopters to fly the Foxes to the ceremony.
Vardy collected a commemorative plate for breaking the league’s consecutive goal record.
