Leicester Premier League title-winner offers to help club in fight against relegation to League One

1
Albrighton has revealed that he and several of his former title-winning team-mates are ready and willing to help Leicester in their hour of need, though the club has yet to reach out. The former winger, who made 313 appearances for the club and lifted three major trophies, is pained by the current state of affairs at his former club.

The 34-year-old expressed a collective desire among the 2016 legends to give back to the institution that made history. "We all say that if we could have a job at any of our former clubs, we’d choose Leicester," Albrighton told the Daily Mail "We didn’t all grow up supporting Leicester but we are massive fans now and we just want to help as much as possible. For whatever reason, it hasn’t materialised."

The situation at the King Power has turned bleak following a six-point deduction for breaching financial rules, which has left the club languishing in the lower reaches of the Championship. With the threat of relegation to the third tier becoming a very real possibility, Albrighton believes the club is missing the distinct culture that drove them to the pinnacle of English football a decade ago.

While former midfielder Andy King is currently on the coaching staff, Albrighton feels there is room for more experience from that iconic era to be integrated. "I’m not saying we’d go in and change the world, change everything that’s wrong with the club," he added. "But people talk about Manchester United and former players at the club who know their DNA, and I feel like there’s something similar at Leicester. There was a culture there that I’d never seen anywhere else."

Albrighton was present at the King Power Stadium recently to witness a harrowing 4-3 defeat to Southampton, a game in which the hosts surrendered a three-goal lead. The former winger noted a palpable sense of anxiety within the stadium, suggesting that the "fearless" identity that defines the club has been replaced by trepidation among both the players and the local support.

"I felt there was massive fear both on the pitch and in the crowd," Albrighton recalled of the collapse against the Saints. "When they were 3-0 up, I wanted them to enjoy themselves. I know it’s difficult and these are nervous times but I’ve noticed it in a quite a few games. The word 'fearless' is part of the club’s identity and it’s important not to forget that."

Despite his eagerness to assist, Albrighton admitted he has had no communication from the Leicester hierarchy regarding a potential role. He noted that his boyhood club, Aston Villa, reached out to him immediately after he finished playing. He said: "There has never been any contact with me from the club regarding this. When I finished playing, Aston Villa got in touch with me. I’d played for them and grown up a Villa fan, so I was grateful for the opportunity to go and do some coaching. I probably did think 'I wish Leicester had done that', even though coaching perhaps isn’t for me. I’d love to be driving into Leicester every day and be in and around that."

Click here to read article

Related Articles