Russell Martin is in advanced talks to become Leicester City’s new head coach, with the club moving to appoint a replacement for Gary Rowett after back-to-back relegations. Leicester will be in League One next season, and the next hire now carries the task of resetting a team that has dropped through two divisions.
Leicester City and James McCarron
James McCarron is leading the search for Rowett’s successor, and Martin has been on Leicester’s radar for some time. The club’s leadership has already set out the sort of manager it wants, with Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha saying in February: "We have to get back to the identity of Leicester, what type of football we should play and what players we should bring".
Srivaddhanaprabha added: "I think it was so clear when we got Enzo (Maresca) on board, what football we should play, and the type of player we should bring in." That description fits Martin’s profile closely enough to explain why Leicester have moved him into advanced talks now rather than later.
Russell Martin and Rangers
Martin has been out of work since his short spell at Rangers, where he was last in the dugout before his exit last October. His coaching route has also taken him through MK Dons, Swansea and Southampton, and he won promotion to the Premier League with Southampton.
That record gives Leicester a candidate with a clear recent track record in the Championship and beyond, but it also comes after a season in which the club were relegated from the Championship this year. The new appointment will therefore walk into a lower division than Leicester have been used to, with the brief set by the chairman and sporting director pointing toward a specific style as much as a result.
Matt Gill and Leicester
Reports elsewhere suggest Martin could be reunited with assistant Matt Gill, who has worked alongside him at MK Dons, Swansea, Southampton and Rangers. Gill joined James Morrison’s staff at West Brom for last season’s successful battle against Championship relegation and is yet to commit his future to West Brom.
For Leicester, the immediate issue is no longer whether to start a search but whether to finish it quickly with a manager who fits the identity Srivaddhanaprabha described in February. Martin’s next step may decide how fast the club can turn a relegation year into a rebuild.
