Having only been Leicester City manager for a couple of months, it appears that Claudio Ranieri has already got a favourite in the form of central midfielder Danny Drinkwater.
This season, Drinkwater (alongside a variety of midfield partners) has put in a series of extremely impressive performances and it is those displays that have caught the eye of his new boss.
'Fantastic'
Following the departure of Esteban Cambiasso in the summer, supporters were understandably concerned about the state of the Premier League club's midfield. However, Drinkwater, 25, has really stepped-up this season and has gone a long way in filling the gap vacated by the popular Argentine.
Whilst gaining multiple plaudits since the opening weekend of the season, the midfielder who has made nearly 150 appearances for the Foxes, has been one of the stars of the 2015/16 season.
Having become a tough-tackling player but also an extremely effective creative outlet, he has even gone some of the way in replicating some of the appearances that earned him the Leicester City player of the season award in 2014.
But, it appears that it's not only supporters that have been enjoying the outstanding displays and the positive attitude of the ex-Manchester United man; his manager is already a big fan. In the words of Ranieri, Drinkwater has been 'fantastic' and is always 'smiling' in various matches and training sessions.
Consistency a problem
However, Leicester City fans will be aware that Drinkwater will have to keep his standards high if he is to establish himself within the Foxes' XI. Since moving to the King Power Stadium, consistency has been very difficult to find for the Englishman.
Under former manager Nigel Pearson, fortunes were mixed following the midfielder's reported £750,000 move from Old Trafford. In his first full season, he really struggled to make an impact in the Midlands and was believed to have been put on the transfer list after only 18 months at the club.
On the other hand, in his second full campaign at Leicester, he went on to become one of the most positive players in the Championship as he secured himself a place in the Team of the Season by scoring seven goals and providing four assists.
Whereas, as Leicester were promoted, the midfielder's form dropped yet again. The ex-Barnsley man managed to make only 23 top-flight appearances, many from the bench and was not able to make a significant impact in Leicester City's first Premier League campaign in a decade.
So, with him impressing so far this season, can Drinkwater establish himself within the Foxes' team and become a consistent Premier League performer?