Leicester next manager: Ex-Aston Villa boss and Rooney in running amid sack news
Leicester City have wielded the axe amid Ruud van Nistelrooy’s struggles at the King Power.
The Foxes are struggling in 19th place in the Premier League, five points from safety, and results have not improved since the former Manchester United star replaced Steve Cooper.
The 2015/16 champions look set to be relegated back to the Championship and the East Midlands outfit could make a change soon in an attempt to save themselves from their impending fate.
Steven Gerrard in the running for Leicester job
With two first-team coaches sacked at Leicester, there’s every chance Van Nistelrooy might be next.
Steven Gerrard came to Villa Park with a considerable amount of fanfare following a Scottish Premiership title win with Rangers in the 2020/21 season.
However, his stint with the Villans was poor as he won just 13 out of his 40 matches in charge and was sacked in October 2022.
The ex-Villa boss has now emerged as a leading candidate for the Leicester job if Van Nistelrooy is handed his marching orders, according to the latest bookmakers’ odds.
The 44-year-old is 2/1 to take over at the King Power Stadium according to Gambling.com with fellow former England star Wayne Rooney also a contender at 12/1.
Villa Park favourite Dean Smith is ranked at 7/1 for the role, with Sean Dyche the odds-on favourite at 4/6 and Gary O’Neil at evens.
Gerrard needs to redeem himself
If the former Liverpool man is appointed, he faces a long road to redeem himself after enduring multiple setbacks in his recent managerial roles.
After roaring success in Glasgow where he brought the league title back to Ibrox, he has struggled to match that impact at Villa and Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia.
| Gerrard roles (league) | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points per game |
| Rangers | 107 | 76 | 21 | 10 | 2.33 |
| Aston Villa | 38 | 12 | 8 | 18 | 1.16 |
| Al-Ettifaq | 51 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 1.31 |
His stint in charge of the B6 outfit proved that he is not ready to be a Premier League manager as he struggled with the increased quality in the top flight of English football.
He left his latest role in Saudi by mutual consent in January, which does little to suggest that can make the step up again and succeed.
If he is hired by the Foxes, he will need to prove himself all over again given the doubts that have emerged over his managerial ability following the two departures.