Former MK Dons boss Russell Martin appointed new Leicester City manager

The former MK Dons boss Russell Martin has been appointed the new manager of Leicester City.

Martin, 40, has signed a 3 year deal at the King Power Stadium as a successor to Gary Rowett, who leaves the Foxes after overseeing a relegation from the Championship to League One in the just-completed season. The Foxes, who were Premier League champions in 2016 and FA Cup winners in 2021, endured a miserable season, as they suffered back-to-back relegations and had a points deduction.

The news means Martin will face MK Dons for the first time since leaving Stadium MK on the eve of the 2021/22 season to take the job as Swansea City boss, with MK Dons and Leicester set to both be in League One for the 2026/27 campaign.

The move also sees Martin return to management for the first time since an ill-fated stint with Scottish side Rangers, who he left after just 123 days in charge last October.

In an arrival interview with the Leicester City website, Martin said he was looking forward to taking on the challenge of reviving Leicester’s fortunes.

He said, “I’m very happy to get it done and just really looking forward to getting started properly, meeting everyone, and then getting out on the grass and working with the players.

“I think it’s a chance to build something here with big energy and build some connections with what we’re going to try and do. The excitement, and the feeling I had about it all, was the biggest attraction, feeling that it’s going to be a really amazing experience.”

Martin was appointed in November 2019 at MK Dons for his first managerial role as a successor to Paul Tisdale, with Martin having previously been playing for MK Dons before making the transition to coaching. He was able to keep MK Dons up in the covid-shortened 2019/20 campaign before managing a 13th place finish in the 2020/21 season.

He left on the eve of the 2021/22 season to take the Swansea City job, then left South Wales for Southampton in 2023. At St Mary’s, he managed promotion via the play-offs before being dismissed at St Mary’s in December 2024 with the Saints bottom of the Premier League.