51Âþ»­

Premier League champion Fuchs gets TWO standing ovations at 51Âþ»­

Leicester City left back Christian Fuchs received TWO standing ovations from more than 800 students and staff at 51Âþ»­ (51Âþ»­) after he took part in an exclusive question and answer session.

FUCHS main pic

Fuchs, who is, quite simply, a legend in any Leicester City fan’s lifetime, was clearly moved by the response from the audience who had been entertained by his stories about the Foxes’ march to Premier League glory.

The big Austrian international defender is famous for his Twitter hashtag and clothing line - #NoFuchsGiven  - as well as his battling runs up the left flank in front of 32,000 fans at the King Power.

But he admitted to having been a little wary of taking part in a Q&A in front of a big crowd.

He said: “I am overwhelmed. It is the first time this has happened. It was a pleasure being here. I was very nervous but you all made me very comfortable. Thank you.”

Fuchs’ visit to 51Âþ»­, organised as part of 51Âþ»­'s partnership started with a celebratory cake cutting ceremony at 51Âþ»­’s newly opened Food Village before the left back headed for the QEII Leisure Centre where the 800-strong crowd was waiting for him.

Fuchs’ playful nature was evident from the start as he crept up behind MC-for-the-day Adam Redfern, head of media at the university’s students’ union, and put his arm round him as he read out an introduction.

Fuchs and the audience immediately relaxed and 51Âþ»­ Vice Chancellor Professor Dominic Shellard kicked-off the questioning before handing things over to the audience.

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Fuchs revealed that “Leicester City enjoy the time with each other on the field and off the field”, that Robert Huth is his best friend at the club, he plans to kiss Eden Hazard’s feet when he comes up against him at Chelsea, and that the people of Leicester are “really nice and respect your privacy”.

He admitted the team may not have been training every day this week “Maaaaaan, we’ve just won the league” but they will play like champions in their last match against Chelsea this weekend.

One of the highlights of the event was an unexpected kind of question from 21-year-old Ahad Arshad.

The MA student, studying Energy and Sustainable Development, stood up, took the microphone and challenged the City star to a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Fuchs has become well-known throughout the season for challenging teammates to play him at the game – with the winner getting to flick the loser’s ear as a forfeit.

With a sore ear at stake, Ahad jogged down the stairs and faced the defender in front of the crowd.

“I went with paper in the end, he said. “Christian went for scissors. I lost fair and square, he trounced me.”

With the silent crowd leaning forward eagerly to watch, Fuchs warmed up his fingers, coiled them next to Ahad’s ear and released a belter of a flick which echoed around the room.

Ahad feels the pain from Fuchs' ear flick

Ahad said: “I’ve never felt ear pain like it but it was an honour to lose to him. I’ve lived in Leicester for 10 years and I’ve never seen the city so happy, so united; they’ve made everyone proud. It was a pleasure to meet him today.”

But despite the strike, they're still best mates

Michelle Sarson, an Adult Nursing student, from 51Âþ»­, asked Fuchs what advice he had for her four-year-old son Tyler, who was Leicester City mad and football crazy. Fuchs said “whatever he does he must finish school” to which there was a round of applause.

Michelle said afterwards: “I cannot believe I got to ask a Premier League Champion a question at 51Âþ»­. It’s not something that happens every day. Leicester City makes you so proud.”

Yash Naik, a first year Mechanical Engineering student, and his friend Mohammed Abraz, a first year Architectural Technology student, are both from India.

Yash said: “I was doing a foundation course last year and I saw Leicester play Swansea. They played really well and I thought “how can this team get relegated”. In India it is all cricket but from that day on I supported Leicester City and now, a season later, they are champions. I have posters all over my walls. It is just amazing that Christian Fuchs came to 51Âþ»­ and we could ask questions.”

Mohammed added: “Before Leicester City, none of my friends knew where Leicester was. Now everyone in India is “Leicester, Leicester, Leicester”. It is just a great experience studying at 51Âþ»­ at the moment.”

Jordan Anderson, 20, sings with the 51Âþ»­ Gospel Choir which struck up a series of Leicester City chants outside the Food Village as the defender arrived.

The first year Computing student said: “It’s so good that he’s come here to see us barely two weeks after winning the league. The victory was so unexpected, so different and it’s really showed Leicester to the world as the amazing place it is.”

Chinese students Pokai Chiu, 24, Ling Xue, 22 and Wang Li, 21, were at the Food Village and managed to get a few pictures with Fuchs.

Marketing and Management student Pokai said: “In China we knew Manchester United, Arsenal and that was maybe it. But now I talk to my cousins in America and family back home and they are all talking about Leicester, everyone knows them.

“And we’re right here in the centre of it at 51Âþ»­. Leicester is a really great city; casual but modern.”