Australian international Souttar stayed with Leicester despite interest from Championship sides Sheffield United and Wrexham following back-to-back relegations and his appearance at the summer World Cup.
He has assumed the captaincy in Martin’s refreshed, youthful Leicester squad, having made only five appearances for the club over the last three seasons.
Souttar made just two league appearances for Leicester last season, both after the team’s relegation, following a 16-month layoff due to a knee injury sustained while on loan at Sheffield United the previous campaign.
Prior to that, he featured infrequently during the 2023‑24 season under Enzo Maresca, who, much like Martin today, favoured a possession‑based style built on playing out from the back—a philosophy Leicester has adhered to for several years.
In the Oxford match, Souttar lined up at centre‑back ahead of veteran goalkeeper Alex McCarthy and beside the seasoned Luke Thomas, while the defence also featured two newcomers: 20‑year‑old Jayden Joseph and Manchester City loanee teenager Christian McFarlane.
Joseph and McFarlane were two of five teenagers under 22 handed starting roles, as Leicester’s hierarchy looked to the youth to secure an immediate return from League One after offloading several high‑earning veterans—such as former England midfielder Harry Winks, Danish defender Jannik Vestergaard and Ghanaian forward Jordan Ayew—during the summer transfer window.
Souttar admitted the Foxes were frustrated by their performance against Oxford, coming just days after Leicester’s first league victory of the season over Plymouth Argyle.
“We looked solid in the midweek win over Plymouth and believed we could build on that, but it didn’t materialise,” Souttar remarked.
“We’ll hold ourselves accountable; it was far from acceptable. We’ll review the match and pinpoint the areas that need improvement,” he added.
“As a squad, our focus now is to correct things ahead of next weekend’s fixture,” he concluded.
Leicester’s next match is Saturday against Stockport County, who sit third in the league after a 4‑0 victory over Wigan Athletic.
