According to reputable sources, Leicester’s new boss is about to be announced. It is no great surprise that the club have opted to go for the former Southampton and Glasgow Rangers manager Russell Martin.Â
The Foxes have long held an interest in Martin and, it is said, would have appointed him last Summer had he not opted to move to the Scottish Premier League. Top seems to have a long-standing preference for a coach who prefers a possession-based game  -  witness the choice of Enzo Maresca in 2023 – and, since then, the arrival of James McCarron as the club’s Sporting Director – with a background at Manchester City - has made such a choice so much more likely.
This decision, likely to be confirmed in the next 48 hours, will divide opinion for sure. It is not just that Martin preaches a possession-based game in which building slowly from the back is a crucial component, at a time when many elite coaches seem to be moving away from that style of play, but also that the Brighton-born coach revealed in his time at Southampton and Rangers an unwillingness to be pragmatic when his preferred way of playing was not delivering results.Â
Leicester fans should, nonetheless, give Martin a chance. His record in the lower leagues is decent if not spectacular. As a player, he won five promotions, including two to the Premier League. He was appointed manager of League One Milton Keynes Dons in 2019 and established their position in the third tier. It was here where he honed a possession-based game. In the 2020-1 season, only Manchester City and Barcelona had a higher average possession percentage in European football. Championship sides Swansea City and Southampton followed. He led the latter to the Premier League at the end of the 2023-4 season following a club record 25-game unbeaten run.
It was an ill-fated season for Martin and the Saints in the Premier League, and an even worse time was to come during his, very brief, stint in Scotland. However, it would be odd if he has not learnt from these negative experiences. Hopefully, Leicester will get the benefit of this.
New Leicester City boss has intriguing backstory
Whatever his merits as a football coach, Martin also has an interesting backstory. He had a troubled childhood, with a gambling-addict father guilty of domestic abuse. No doubt influenced by his background, Russell’s charitable work – with disadvantaged youngsters - led him to be given an honorary degree from the University of Brighton. He is also a vegan (mainly for health reasons) and a proponent of Buddhism. Finally, in 2026 he married the former model and television personality Lucy Pinder who shares his commitment to charitable work.
Whatever else, Martin’s appointment at King Power Stadium should be an interesting experience for Foxes’ fans.
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