Leicester City have appointed former Rangers and Southampton manager Russell Martin as head coach on a three‑year contract.
Martin’s 123‑day tenure at Rangers ended in October, and he now moves to England’s third tier to revive his coaching career.
The 40‑year‑old takes over a Leicester side that find themselves in League One after consecutive relegations.
He replaces Gary Rowett, who was unable to keep the Foxes in the Championship after inheriting a six‑point deduction for prior spending breaches.
“This club has great history, strong support and high expectations. I look forward to getting to know the club, the city and the supporters,” Martin said.
“My immediate focus is the team: building relationships, setting clear standards and delivering performances that Leicester City fans can be proud of.”
Martin becomes the seventh permanent manager appointed at Leicester since Brendan Rodgers departed in April 2023.
Dean Smith, Enzo Maresca, Steve Cooper, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Marti Cifuentes and Rowett have all held the role during the turbulent period after Rodgers left.
The Foxes have suffered three relegations in the past four seasons, with a single promotion when Maresca guided them to the Championship title in 2023‑24 before departing for Chelsea.
Last season, a points deduction contributed to their drop to League One, coinciding with the ten‑year anniversary of the club’s famous 5‑0‑1 Premier League title victory.
Martin, who led Southampton to Premier League promotion via a play‑off win over Leeds United in the same season Leicester were crowned Championship champions, takes the Leicester job as both he and the club look to rebuild their reputations.
“Russell will be supported by a football structure focused on alignment, accountability and high standards,” said Leicester sporting director James McCarron. “Our role is to ensure the right environment surrounds the team.”
Martin’s possession‑based, patient approach at Southampton mirrors the style that Maresca implemented at Leicester, which is why the club were interested in him before his brief spell at Rangers.
Leicester are now only in their second season in League One in their 142‑year history, and Martin brings League One experience from his early managerial career with MK Dons in 2019.
The former Scotland international, who played for clubs including Norwich City, Rangers, Wycombe Wanderers and Peterborough United, retired to begin his coaching journey at MK Dons.
After steering MK Dons to a 13th‑place finish in 2020‑21, he moved to Swansea City for two seasons before taking the Southampton job.
