Leicester City: Demarai Gray says he was never offered new contract before

Demarai Gray revealed he was never offered a new contract at Leicester and didn’t feel ‘wanted or valued’ by the club before leaving for Bayer Leverkusen in January.

The 24-year-old signed an 18-month contract for a fee of around £3million at the BayArena after struggling to force his way into the team under Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers.

Gray’s contract was due to expire in the summer so, with no new deal on the table, opted to move to German side after not feeling valued at the King Power Stadium and only playing 18 minutes of Premier League action this season.

Demarai Gray says he was not offered new Leicester contract before joining Bayer Leverkusen

‘No, there was no contract offer, there weren’t any discussions about it,’ said Gray, who has signed an 18-month deal at the BayArena. ‘I didn’t go knocking asking for one because I wanted to be, if I was to stay, at a club where I was wanted and valued. I didn’t feel that, I wasn’t playing. I didn’t take it personally – it’s just football.

‘We had quite a few chats throughout last season. It was a bit of a broken season but it was made clear if I wanted to move on I could. I thought it was the right time if I’m being realistic.

‘As you approach the last year of your contract you get an idea if a team wants to keep you. I had a few discussions with Brendan – open and honest. I told him how I felt and where I stood and we agreed these things happen, where you do need a fresh start. There was never any drama.

The 24-year-old (right) struggled for game time at the Foxes under Brendan Rodgers (left)

‘It was tough to deal with because I applied myself right, still trained and went in with the attitude hoping to get an opportunity.’ 

Gray joined Leicester from boyhood side Birmingham City for £3.5million in 2016 and one of his first actions was to help them secure a fairytale Premier League title the same year.

The former England U21 international spent another five years at the club, scoring 13 goals in 169 appearances, and says he still holds the club in high regard for their role in his development.

‘I have a lot of respect for everyone at the club. It was a chapter in my life I took many memories from,’ he said. ‘I went from my boyhood club to Leicester in the January to winning the Premier League six months later.

Gray said he still holds the club who he won the Premier League with in 2016 in high regard

‘The owners and Claudio (Ranieri) who…