Brendan Rodgers has urged Leicester City to write more history by reaching their first European semi-final after lifting the FA Cup for the first time last year.
Leicester visit PSV Eindhoven on Thursday in the second leg of the Europa Conference League quarter-final with the tie finely poised after a stalemate last Thursday.
Leicester exited the Champions League against Atlético Madrid at the quarter-final stage five years ago and Rodgers is keen for his side to experience more European nights. “To be the first to do anything is always nice,” Rodgers said.
“We had that feeling with the FA Cup and it was a great feeling. We are a club unlike PSV, because I’ve read that they have qualified for 48 European competitions on the trot which shows you the history they have in European competitions.
“We are the complete opposite to that, very inexperienced, but the only way you do is by achieving. This is a great opportunity for us to do that. The first leg gives us great motivation that we can do that.”
Leicester prevailed against Rennes in the previous round and Rodgers and his captain, Kasper Schmeichel, acknowledged they must cope with a “cauldron” atmosphere in the Netherlands. Schmeichel, one of seven players still at the club who featured in the 2016-17 campaign, has won the Premier League, FA Cup and Community Shield with Leicester, having seen their remarkable rise after winning the Championship in 2014.
“We probably aren’t the biggest, flashiest club about but we have consistently been able to mix it with the big boys and have done a good job of it so far,” Schmeichel said.
- Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhones or the Google Play store on Android phones by searching for 'The Guardian'.
- If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.
- In the Guardian app, tap the yellow button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.
- Turn on sport notifications.
“We had a similar situation in Rennes [in March] where there was a lot of noise and an expectant [home] crowd. In the last round we came into a cauldron which was fantastic and we rose to the occasion. This will be no different. But the expectation which we set ourselves couldn’t really be higher.”
Jamie Vardy remains out of action with a knee injury but the defender Jonny Evans will return after being rested for the victory against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
“It’s all to play for,” Rodgers said. “It’s important to be aggressive and keep the strong mentality we have at the moment. We go with no fear. We are looking forward to it.”
