Players at Leicester are not convinced by Cooper's efforts

Cooper acknowledged that he would have respected the player's decision to leave if he had requested it.

However, Kristiansen is committed to the King Power Stadium club’s project.

“I won’t convince anybody to play here,” the manager said, per Leicestershire Live. 

“They’ve got to want to play here. I don’t care who it is. There’s no convincing. You’re either 100 per cent committed or you’re not. These guys are.

“With Victor, he did have a good season and a positive experience last year in Italy. He played in a team that have brought a lot of interest in the players that have played for them. He was a good part of that. We’ve definitely got a player back off a positive loan. There’s been a change of manager here and it can be seen as a clean slate and a fresh opportunity.

“That’s exactly how we’ve dealt with him. Through pre-season, he played his way into the team. For him and everybody else, they have to play well to stay in the team.”