Russell Martin, manager of Leicester City, was previously on Manchester United's radar
Russell Martin, manager of Leicester City, was previously on Manchester United's radar
Leicester City boss Russell Martin was put forward as a candidate to monitor by Jason Wilcox when Manchester United were considering Erik ten Hag replacements in 2024, The Athletic has said.
Leicester City hired Russell Martin in the summer, bringing him in to lead their rebuild after relegation from the Championship. The LCFC boss has faced criticism for inconsistent performances and a frustrating style of play, but it wasn’t long ago that he was held in very high regard.
Martin’s work at MK Dons, Swansea City and in winning promotion to the Premier League with Southampton saw him build a strong reputation in the game. So much so, Manchester United sporting director Jason Wilcox – who worked with Martin at St. Mary’s – put him forward as a candidate to monitor when the Red Devils were considering their Erik ten Hag replacements in 2024.
Leicester City boss Russell Martin on the touchline
Photo by Steve Daniels, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped).
Wilcox viewed Martin as someone to monitor and consider for the role in the future, rather than as an immediate option. This was shortly before the 2024 FA Cup final in May, so around the same time as the Championship play-off final, which the Saints won.
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Jason Wilcox and Russell Martin’s past as previous interest in Leicester City boss emerges
Wilcox moved from Manchester City to Southampton in 2023, stepping into a director of football role for the first time. He would hire Martin from Swansea City shortly after, and the two found success together.
With Martin as manager and Wilcox as a director, the Saints would win immediate promotion back to the Premier League. It saw the stocks of both surge, but the boss stayed put while Wilcox was tempted away to become technical director in a new-look Manchester United hierarchy, before seeing his title switched to director of football.
Russell Martin’s record as Southampton boss
Games W D L PPG
73 34 13 26 1.58
Neither have found the same fortunes since though. Martin was eventually sacked by Southampton as they sat bottom of the Premier League table, and a dismal 17-game spell at Rangers led to his next managerial opportunity coming in League One with Leicester City.
Wilcox meanwhile remains at Manchester United, but he has been under-fire for shortcomings in recruitment. Many supporters pin their continued struggles on him, and he was in the line of fire when defender Lisandro Martinez called out the club hierarchy too.
The Verdict: Martin will strive to return to previous heights despite challenging Leicester City start
Managerial stock comes and goes, and few have experienced the highs and lows quite like Martin. His work in rebuilding Southampton and getting them promoted earned rave reviews, and rightly so.
However, he stuck by his playing principles on the step up to the Premier League, and it backfired badly. Some would argue he has never really recovered from that, with criticisms over his playing style following him to Rangers and Leicester City, and his willingness to speak up and stick to his guns while speaking to the press brings ridicule.
Despite this, he is still a young manager at only 40, and his CV shows how he can rebuild struggling clubs and build a philosophy for fans, players and staff alike to buy into.
Martin is trying to replicate his past success at Leicester City. He faces an uphill battle to do so, but that will not deter him as both he and LCFC fight to return to their previous heights.