Leicester City is a club currently caught between its glittering past and a particularly precarious future. As the Foxes poorly navigate the choppy waters of the EFL Championship, chairman Aiyawatt "Khun Top" Srivaddhanaprabha has turned to a new architect to steady the vessel. Enter two men, potential head coach Gary Rowett and James McCarron, the man at the centre of this piece. He is tasked with the newly created role of LCFC sporting director.
If Leicester City is a penniless grand estate that has recently fallen into disrepair, director of football Jon Rudkin remains the long-standing, unwanted estate manager moving "upstairs" to oversee the broad vision. McCarron, however, is the specialist contractor brought in to rewire the house and ensure the foundations are earthquake-proof. He isn't just another body in the boardroom: he is the designated inventor of a Foxes DNA; or the catalyst in reinstating the 'Foxes Never Quit' ethos.
The King Power blueprint: James McCarron and Leicester City's identity crisis
McCarron's remit is a comprehensive '360-degree' strategy, with Rudkin supposedly no longer overseeing footballing operations directly. The former will therefore take the lead on the day-to-day football operations: scouting the right profiles, managing contract renewals. All while aligning recruitment strategy with a distinct playing style.
"In a brand new role, the sporting director will work alongside director of football Jon Rudkin on matters such as transfers, contracts, and managerial appointments, and therefore the direction of the club."Leicester Mercury
The fresh face will be involved in bridging the gap between first team and academy. Ensuring that whether a player is eight or 28 - they are being transitioned to, and styled in, the 'Leicester way'. This isn't really about finding the next Jamie Vardy: it's more about building a system where LCFC's distinctiveness remains consistent even when managers change.
"We have to get back to what the identity of Leicester is,” Top said. “When the structure changes and we get the new sporting director in, we will make sure that we are seeing what the identity of Leicester is, what football we should play, what player we should bring in. I think that will be more clear."Khun Top
With up to 17 players potentially departing this summer, McCarron's arrival from the City Football Group signals a shift toward high-level, data-driven, long-term stability. He is on Filbert Way to provide marginal gains and a cultural continuity required to stop the rot and restore Leicester to their former status as the Premier League's ultimate arrivistes.