Leicester have been well served by midfield schemers over the years. We come up with our top ten and honourable mentions starting today with numbers 10 & 9.
10. The first of Jimmy Bloomfield’s expensive (at the time) buys when he arrived at Filbert Street in 1971 was Jon Sammels, signed from Arsenal for £100,000. Sammels had made over 200 appearances for the Gunners but had lost his place in the first team and wanted a move away. A slight, but elegant, midfielder with a good range of passing and a ferocious shot (which he probably didn't make the most of), Jon served the Foxes for seven top-flight seasons between 1971 and 1978 making 272 appearances and scoring 25 goals. He was a member of the Leicester team known for their style and entertainment value but short on trophies. As Alan Birchenall memorably later wrote ‘we certainly knew how not to win a trophy in style’. Jon often got barracked by some sections of the Foxes’ faithful for his tendency to pass sideways rather than forward but, in his focus on slowing the game down and ensuring that his team kept possession, he was in many ways ahead of his time. After leaving the club, Sammels played for two years in North America before returning to Leicester where he worked as a driving instructor.
9. Gary McAllister played for Leicester City for five seasons between 1985 and 1990 making 225 appearances and scoring 51 goals. The tall and elegant playmaker was signed, along with Ally Mauchlen, from Motherwell by Gordon Milne and he adapted well to First Division football. After the Foxes were relegated in 1987, Gary played a further three seasons at Filbert Street in the old Division Two and was the standout player in David Pleat’s team which struggled to mount an effective promotion bid. Too good for the second tier, it was no surprise when, at the end of his contract in 1990, McAllister, not short of top level suitors, moved on to Leeds United. As with many of City's top players over the years, the most successful parts of Gary’s career occurred away from Filbert Street. At Elland Road he was part of the side that won the First Division title in 1992. The Scottish international, who won 57 Scottish caps, then had spells at Coventry (twice) and Liverpool before taking on the managerial reigns at Coventry, Leeds and Villa.
More on Tuesday.