Conor Coady's continued recovery from injury and expected return to action in the coming weeks is "huge" for Championship high-flyers Leicester City, says former Foxes winger Matt Piper.

The 30-year-old defender is yet to make his Leicester debut, having fractured his foot during a pre-season friendly with OH Leuven, but has resumed training this week.

Piper said Coady, who has been capped 10 times by England, was an impressive summer addition after the Foxes lured him to the King Power Stadium from Wolves despite their relegation to the Championship.

"When he first came I was like ‘wow, Conor Coady'. And I think a lot of Leicester fans were the same," Piper said on BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast.

"I know we are a big club, but it's the fact that we have gone down to the Championship and he is definitely Premier League quality.

"To have someone like him, with his skillset and what he has done, especially at Wolves over the years, and how he is so accustomed to playing in that back three and playing out, being really comfortable with the ball at his feet and a threat in both penalty areas, is huge.

"We have not had that and we’ve still not got it with Jannik Vestergaard. And I'm not being unkind to him, because he has done well in the last few games, but I think Conor Coady is just a different level.

"He has a bit more pace, he reads the game a little better and he can play out as well."

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