Leicester new manager: Ex-Aston Villa captain in running amid Van Nistelrooy sack news
Aston Villa, like every club, have had many former players down the years head into management or coaching while others go down the media, directorial or agency route.
That time of the year is looming when managerial appraisals are held, and clubs on the fence over whether or not to keep the individual currently in post must tilt one way or the another, to enable a clear mindset ahead of pre-season.
Leicester City, some 35 miles away from Villa Park, are in that precise situation now as Ruud van Nistelrooy wonders over his future with the relegated Foxes.
John Terry among names touted for Leicester job
Leicester will be aiming for an immediate Premier League return this time next year, and Oddschecker have shown a market run by BetVictor with odds for van Nistelrooy’s successor.
The Dutchman has not yet left his post, but former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown – still fairly acquainted with the former Old Trafford striker – recently told Football Insider his sacking is inevitable (21 April).
His captain Jamie Vardy announced last week he would be leaving Leicester after 13 years with the club, and has this week been linked with a surprise move to Villa Park (Ben Foster, 29 April).
BetVictor are now offering odds of 20/1 on former Aston Villa captain Terry to take the reins at the King Power, having previously worked with the Foxes under Dean Smith like at Villa, been interviewed for other Championship roles, and then returned to Chelsea as an academy coach.
Terry, 44, represented Villa in the final season of his playing career, captaining the side in the Championship play-off final in 2018.
He is currently participating in the newly-formed ‘Baller League’ as one of 12 competing managers, but has now emerged as an outsider for the Leicester job – which would be his first in full management having worked there under Smith across his stint.
Aston Villa alumni in running to take Leicester reins
Alongside Terry, former Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard is also 20/1 to take over at Leicester.
Russell Martin, sacked by Southampton in December 2024 having taken Saints to the Premier League at the end of last season, is currently favourite at 11/10, while Sean Dyche is priced at 5/4.
There is a significant gap to the forthcoming candidates, with Danny Rohl of Sheffield Wednesday next at 8/1, and Lee Carsley, Gary O’Neil and David Wagner all shorter odds than both Terry and Gerrard.
| Aston Villa alumni | Coaching roles |
| John Terry | Aston Villa assistant coach, Chelsea coaching consultant, Leicester City assistant coach, Chelsea academy coach, Baller League manager |
| Steven Gerrard | Liverpool U18 coach, Rangers manager, Aston Villa head coach, Al-Ettifaq manager |
It would certainly be intriguing to see how Terry or Gerrard would fare in another English job, which in Terry’s case would be his first one.
As for the current situation at Leicester, van Nistelrooy continues to lead a beleaguered squad who next take on the only side below them in the table – Southampton – this weekend. The destroyed duo have taken just 29 of 204 combined available Premier League points this season.