Not to be negative, but sometimes you need to reflect on those elements as well. This worst ever Leicester XI are based on the following criterias. Not living up to expectations. Negative results and performances. Relegations and long run of losses. Transfer fee, appearance and goal ratio. These are in real good footballers, Some are winners of Champions League, Premier League and living legends at other clubs.
We will start with the goalkeeper. Not difficult at all to address this one. Danny Ward fits the picture perfectly. Leicester went from a steady performer to a relegation battler. This happened during the season Brendan Rodgers decided to give the gloves to the Wales international. He had some terrible games. Why Claude Puel decided to use £12,5million on this man is a riddle. This is the worsed business ever in the clubs history. Position: Goalkeeper, Seasons: 2018 to 2025, League Games: 29, League Goals: 0, Transfer Fee In: £12,5million, Transfer Fee Out: 0, Nation: Wales
On the right back we have picked Daniel Amartey. His performances at Premier League level was never convincing and he showed unsecurity. Amartey played as right back, in central defence and sometimes also given a job in midfield. Position: Right-Back, Seasons: 2021 to 2023, League Games: 106, League Goals: 2, Transfer Fee In: £6million, Transfer Fee Out: 0, Nation: Ghana, Manager: Claudio Ranieri
The left back position was not a difficult pick. Ryan Bertrand is the choice. He was signed from Southampton late in his career, previously winning Premier League and Champions League with Chelsea. He was also a player at full international level for England. When arriving at Leicester he was far from his best level. A strange and fatal signing from the manager in charge. Position: Left-Back, Seasons: 2016 to 2023, League Games: 4, League Goals: 0, Transfer Fee In: 0, Transfer Fee Out: 0, Nation: England, Manager: Brendan Rodgers
In central defence we have two players that never really had any luck in the Leicester first team. Jimmy Willis was not one we do believe had the level needed to perform for a club like Leicester. He had been impressive at lower leagues, but not up to standard. Position: Central-Defence, Seasons: 1991 to 1997, League Games: 60, League Goals: 3, Transfer Fee In: £250.000, Transfer Fee Out: 0, Nation: England, Manager: Brian Little
Matt Heath is the other alternative. Heath was talked up as the next captain of Leicester. Almost every game he played ended in defeat. You could see early on he had no Premier League level performance. He was soon playing in lower league teams before moving even further down in to non-league football. Position: Central-Defence, Seasons: 2001 to 2005, League Games: 50, League Goals: 6, Transfer Fee In: 0, Transfer Fee Out: £200.000, Nation: England, Manager: Peter Taylor
🇬🇭💪🏿 Daniel Amartey is currently a free agent and is training on his own to stay in top shape before finding a new club. pic.twitter.com/1Ek87R1XAh
— Kennedy Ansah (@kennedyansah_) June 30, 2025
Junior Lewis is one in that defensive central midfield role. A player with a game more suited to lower league football. To see him playing for Leicester at Premier League level was in real just strange. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Position: Central-Midfield, Seasons: 2001 to 2004, League Games: 30, League Goals: 1, Transfer Fee In: Nominal, Transfer Fee Out: Nominal, Nation: England, Manager: Peter Taylor
Peter Taylor made a number of fatal moves in the transfer market. Matthew Jones was one, coming in from Leeds to take the midfield role after Neil Lennon. The Wales international was no way a player being able to fill the gap after the Northern Ireland international. Position: Central-Midfield, Seasons: 2000 to 2004, League Games: 27, League Goals: 1, Transfer Fee In: £3.5million, Transfer Fee Out: 0, Nation: Wales, Manager: Peter Taylor
Josh Low was a signing from Northampton Town. A flank midfielder. Again a player who had performed well at lower league levels. Rob Kelly took him in, played him a few games, shipped him out. He was with Leicester from 2006 to 2007. Position: Flank-Midfield, Seasons: 2006 to 2007, League Games: 16, League Goals: 0, Transfer Fee In: 0, Transfer Fee Out: 0, Nation: England, Manager: Rob Kelly
Dennis Wise will be the other flank midfielder. His time at Leicester must be something few would look back on with good memories. Wise never managed to contribute as Leicester were relegated after he came in. At a late stage in his career, but continued to play for Millwall and Southampton. He had previously won cup medals at Chelsea. Position: Flank-Midfield, Seasons: 2002 to 2003, League Games: 17, League Goals: 1, Transfer Fee In: £1.6million, Transfer Fee Out: 0, Nation: England, Manager: Peter Taylor
Up front we have Ade Akinbiyi. A record signing from Wolves, paying 5.5million for his services. He was in a way the man to take the job left behind by Emile Heskey. But it never worked out for Akinbiyi at Leicester. He was a player doing well in the level below, but at Leicester he must be described as a flop. Position: Forward, Seasons: 2000 to 2002, League Games: 58, League Goals: 11, Transfer Fee In: £5.5million, Transfer Fee Out: £2.3million, Nation: Nigeria, Manager: Peter Taylor
Alongside Ade Akinbiyi, Islam Slimani is our choice. With a transfer fee of £28million, surely we had expected much more. Still having Jamie Vardy around, made it clear Slimani would struggle for game time. Again, it was a disastrous use of money. Leicester paid a club record fee and possibly did not give the player enough chances. Still, when playing, he looked far from Premier League standard. This is the worse use of money seen in the history of this football club. Position: Forward, Seasons: 2016 to 2021, League Games: 36, League Goals: 8, Transfer Fee In: £28million, Transfer Fee Out: 0, Nation: Algeria, Manager: Claudio Ranieri
We have settled with this team. The players chosen did not have the required performance level. At that time, they were unable to play in the roles given to them at the club.
Our pick, The worst ever Leicester City XI;
Goalkeeper: Danny Ward
Defenders: Daniel Amartey, Ryan Bertrand, Jimmy Willis, Matt Heath
Midfield: Matthew Jones, Junior Lewis, Josh Low, Dennis Wise
Forwards: Ade Akinbiyi, Islam Slimani
There were seven players who played at full international level (Ward, Amartey, Bertrand, Jones, Wise, Akinbiyi, Slimani). The team also included two Premier League winners (Amartey and Bertrand). One Champions League winner (Bertrand). Only one of the players picked, was a player from the clubs own ranks (Heath).
So who gave these players their debuts. Claudio Ranieri signed and played two of them (Amartey, Slimani). Rob Kelly, one (Low), Brian Little, one (Willis), Claude Puel, one (Ward), Brendan Rodgers, one (Bertrand). Peter Taylor made three of them signings and gave a fourth his debut (Lewis, Wise, Akinbiyi, Heath). Micky Adams continued to play Matt Heath and had to see his team struggle. Claudio Ranieri had two of these players signed (Amartey, Slimani).
They were all good and proper proffesionals who have done well at other clubs. But at Leicester they never shone. There were high expectations to push their performance to a higher level when signed or given debuts, but it never happened.
Picking a bench, you have more players far from expectations. Claude Puel’s signing of Rachid Ghezzal, who later became a league winner and sensation at Besiktas. Nigel Pearson moved for Andrej Kramaric. He had no success in Premier League with Leicester. Kramaric later has had a great career at Hoffenheim and at international level for Croatia. Graham Fenton was a £1million signing done by Martin O’Neill. He also signed Arnar Gunnlaugsson from Bolton for £2million. None of them performed to their best level.
Brendan Rodgers made some fantastic signings for Leicester, but he also missed terribly. Current players, Bouba Soumare and Patson Daka could be candidates. Splashing out heavy fees, not really getting much back of these investments. Victor Kristiansen and Harry Souttar are other players Brendan Rodgers brought in. They have not shown their worth yet, certainly not at Premier League level. All of these players have not performed as well as expected, being part of teams seen relegated, some even twice. Harry Skipp and Jordan Ayew need a good season, if not, they would soon find themselves in this type category.
Managers failing in the transfer market will see a heavy struggle. Managers who trust players not ready or equipped for the introduced level also face the same fate. We have seen this with all of the players above, sadly and in most cases not their own fault.
CHECK YOUR FOOTBALL STORIES AND TRANSFER TALK
A TRUSTED SOURCE ON LEICESTER CITY NEWS
Leave a Reply