“Oh, I definitely regret the move, despite having just signed a four-year contract,” said the Leicester title-winner, who revealed he almost left before the 2016 season. Find out what convinced him to stay.
The story of Leicester City’s Premier League title win remains legendary.
The Foxes were 5000-1 outsiders to lift the trophy after barely avoiding relegation the previous season. Their squad was largely made up of players considered rejects, and the appointment of Claudio Ranieri—who had just been dismissed by Greece—was widely seen as a puzzling choice.
However, Ranieri went on to inspire one of the greatest narratives in sports history, and the remarkable achievement continues to be celebrated.
Marc Albrighton, one of the title-winning players who announced his retirement last summer, recently shared a compelling story from the season before their 2016 triumph. During Leicester’s memorable 5-3 victory against Manchester United in September 2014, Albrighton found himself sidelined under manager Nigel Pearson.
In a podcast with Undr The Cosh, Albrighton reflected on his desire to leave the club at that time.
Host: “So at this point, you’re regretting the move, aren’t you?”
Albrighton: “Oh, massively. I was thinking about leaving, even though I had just signed a four-year deal.”
Host: “And you probably thought you were heading for the Championship at best while you were on the farm with the kids.”
Albrighton: “Exactly. I started doubting myself because I couldn’t even get close to the squad. I wondered if I was training well or if I was just being biased in my assessment. Was I seeing something different from what everyone else was seeing?”
Albrighton eventually regained his place in the starting lineup when Pearson switched to a five-at-the-back formation, allowing him to play as a wing-back.
Host: “What changed? Did you just get that opportunity?”
Albrighton: “Yes, he changed the formation. He switched to a back five with wing-backs, placing me on the right and Jeff Schlupp on the left. We then won seven out of our last nine matches that season to avoid relegation, finishing 14th after being in serious trouble at Christmas.”
From that point on, Albrighton never looked back and solidified his status as a Leicester legend, though it could have been a very different story had he decided to leave.
