Russell Martin could have his new Tyler Dibling with Leicester starlet

Russell Martin would hop into the Leicester City hot seat with a lot to prove if he is handed the reins post-Gary Rowett.

Reports do seem to suggest that he is the frontrunner, alongside the surprise addition of Rene Hake to the race, but his name being near the top of the list to replace Rowett has been met with some grimaces.

He has won an EFL promotion with Southampton in the past, but this notion that he is a promotion whiz is a bit off the mark, as he has never successfully gotten a team out of the lower reaches of League One.

Moreover, the pressure will be on this back from minute one of his King Power journey to instantly seal promotion come the close of the 46-game marathon, and he drowned under the pressure of the Rangers job when he was last employed.

Still, there are some plus points to hold onto with the marmite 40-year-old, as he has been keen to utilise promising youngsters during his up-and-down managerial career to date, with Leicester full to the brim with rising starlets at the moment.

In particular, he should be given a lot of credit in this department with the success story of Tyler Dibling, when he was still managing the Saints.

Martin's work with Tyler Dibling

Dibling would only be 17 years of age when he was first handed a senior chance in league action by Martin at St. Mary's.

Indeed, a two-minute cameo would be chucked his way in January 2024, as Southampton cruised to a 4-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday, and the direct winger would never look back after being thrust into the spotlight.

The following season, as the Saints battled against the drop in the Premier League, Dibling would become a fully fledged member of the first team, with one goal and two assists picked up from 22 appearances under Martin, before he was handed the sack.

Bagging three goals under Ivan Juric's equally miserable reign at the foot of the Premier League, it's clear that the Scotsman was the manager who first set the 20-year-old's senior career into motion.

Ultimately, without Martin giving him those first opportunities in 2024, Dibling might not have gone on to be a £40m purchase by Everton last summer.

The 40-year-old's exciting work with the next generation of talents at St. Mary's will please the Leicester hierarchy, with Martin further stating - when he left Swansea City in 2023 - that tutoring youngsters in Wales filled him with "immense pride."

This will be music to the ears of this U21 sensation back at the King Power, who will be hoping Martin can mentor him shortly.

He could have his next Dibling at Leicester

At only 17, which is the same age Dibling was first handed his senior shot at Southampton, Louis Page already has 21 first team appearances at Leicester.

Martin won't be seen as the manager who first pushed him into the senior spotlight, therefore, like he is with the Everton winger, but he could be about to get a lot more out of a young attacking talent, who is yet to explode in the first team.

Last season, Page's involvement in the starting XI was extremely stop-start, with 18 appearances coming his way.

Yet, he would go months at a time with zero senior involvement, with Page needing consistent minutes to live up to his potential, like Martin handed Dibling on the South Coast.

League One could be just the division, too, where the teenage midfielder finally begins to strut his stuff, with the England U19 international collecting 12 goal contributions for both the U18s and U21s at the time of writing.

He only has one assist in the men's team, though, but those numbers will hopefully rise as he goes about having a formative season with Martin at the helm.

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