October 5, 2024

Leicester City will be striving to secure an immediate return to the Premier League following relegation.

Leicester City suffered relegation to the Championship on Sunday afternoon, seven years on from stunning the footballing world and winning the Premier League.

Expectations and ambition levels will be high within the Foxes camp next season and an immediate Premier League return will be the ultimate objective set by the club’s hierarchy.

Whilst we wait for the 2023/24 Championship campaign to come around, here, we take a look at six free-agents who could be of interest to Leicester City upon their arrival in the Championship…

Phil Jones

Ex-Man Utd star has theory why Phil Jones refused to quit Man Utd despite fact he should have 'left a long time ago' | The Sun

Manchester United defender Phil Jones is set to depart Old Trafford when his deal expires next month and an expected top-end Championship club like Leicester could benefit from the addition of the former England international.

Tough, tenacious and a very good reader of the game, he could be an ideal addition, especially if there are a couple of defensive sales or departures this summer.

A player that is in need of a fresh opportunity, there could be scope for Jones to feature fairly regularly for the Foxes in the Championship.

Saman Ghoddos

Saman Ghoddos has emerged as a source of versatility since arriving at Brentford when the Bees were thriving in the Championship and may catch the eye of those leading recruitment at the King Power Stadium this summer.

The 29-year-old saw his game time decrease for the London club this season, with the Iranian international set to see his contract expire this summer, although the Bees do possess the option in extending his stay for another 12 months.

If Brentford opt not to hand Ghoddos fresh terms, then Leicester could benefit from his vision and creativity, especially when they are set to lose key sources of attacking threat this

The 29-year-old saw his game time decrease for the London club this season, with the Iranian international set to see his contract expire this summer, although the Bees do possess the option in extending his stay for another 12 months.

If Brentford opt not to hand Ghoddos fresh terms, then Leicester could benefit from his vision and creativity, especially when they are set to lose key sources of attacking threat this

Jack Stacey

If Leicester see any of their right-back options head for pastures new this summer, then Bournemouth’s Jack Stacey could emerge as a key target for the Foxes.

Down the pecking order at The Vitality Stadium, the attacking full-back may seek a

Championship move when his contract expires with the hope of playing regular football once more.

A full-back who provides a relentless attacking service and is a steady defender, Stacey may be someone of interest this summer, although there could be a fair amount of Championship clubs casting an eye on him.

Jan Paul van Hecke

If Brighton & Hove Albion do not trigger a one-year extension on Jan Paul van Hecke’s soon-to-be expiring deal at the Amex Stadium, then the 22-year-old could be a very promising pick-up at Championship level.

Leicester should look to position themselves well if the young defender becomes available this summer, as he is not only someone who has impressed at Championship level already, but he comes with an incredibly high ceiling.

Dominant in his aerial and ground duels, whilst also being comfortable on the ball, he would be a fantastic pick-up by the Foxes.

Ryan Manning

Ryan Manning proved to be one of the finest left-backs in the Championship during the 2022/23 campaign and would have undoubtedly generated a lot of interest throughout the season.

A player that could emerge on the radars of Premier League clubs, it would be no surprise if an ambitious club like Leicester were to join the running.

Expected to leave Swansea City upon the expiry of his current deal, Manning could be a useful addition, particularly if the Foxes are expecting to lose someone like Luke Thomas or James Justin.

Chiedozie Ogbene

Rotherham United’s Chiedozie Ogbene is a rapid-paced, agile attacker who would bolster the forward lines of pretty much all Championship clubs this summer and Leicester should at least take a look.

Set to see his current deal at the New York Stadium expire in a month, a top-end Championship move would make complete sense and the Foxes certainly have the pull to get a deal like this over the line.

It will be interesting to see how Ogbene’s situation plays out after plenty of speculation about where his future lies over the last few months.

Swansea City will be hoping to improve upon their mid-table finish next season as they look to plan for life without Russell Martin.

The former MK Dons manager is on the verge of joining Southampton as their new manager, but considering their recent track record, finding their new head coach should be a simple process.

Graham Potter, Steve Cooper and Russell Martin have all had varying degrees of success at the club in recent years and the Swans will be hoping their next manager can do the same.

Famous Swansea City fans

There might be some famous faces in and around the ground once the new season comes along, too, with the club attracting a number of well known individuals over the years.

With that in mind, we’ve decided to take a look at the most famous supporters at the Swansea City Stadium.

Elis James

Phil Jones (footballer, born 1992) - Wikipedia

The Welsh comedian is now based in London, but that has not stopped him from attending games both home and away.

He’s regularly seen in the away ends at games, as well as talking about the Swans as much as possible in various media commitments, including on his BBC Podcast show Elis James Feast of Football.

You can now see him on Sky Max alongside Matt Lucas hosting Fantasy Football.

Is Michael Sheen actually a Swansea supporter?

Despite growing up in Newport, Sheen is a avid Swansea fan. The actor has featured in theatre productions as well as on the big screen and is known to many football supporters for his depiction of Brian Clough in The Damned United.

He’s attended the Swansea City Community Trust annual celebration event in recent years, further reaffirming his love for the club.

Rob Brydon

The versatile actor, presenter and comedian is well known for his role as ‘Uncle Bryn’ in Gavin and Stacey as well as host of the popular BBC panel show ‘Would I Lie To You?’.

He is also known for being a Swans supporter, sending his good luck wishes to the team ahead of the play-off final against Reading in 2011.

Steffan Rhodri

Another cast member from Gavin and Stacey is Welsh actor Steffan Rhodri.

Rhodri is a Swansea supporter and managed to put his alliegances aside during the sitcom, after being portrayed as a Cardiff City supporter in his role as ‘Dave’.

Brett Johns

MMA fighter Brett Johns is a Swansea supporter, visiting the training ground and showcasing his skills to his favourite players, with Lee Trundle also making an appearance.

Jay Harris

Jay Harris - Wrexham | Player Profile | Sky Sports FootballJay Harris - Wrexham | Player Profile | Sky Sports Football

Swansea-born boxer Jay Harris has been a Swans fan from a young age.

He was paraded on the pitch for supporters against Wigan several years ago, with his love for the club starting when attending the Vetch Field from the age of eight.

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas

The Hollywood power couple are well known to be Swans supporters as a result of Zeta-Jones being born in the city.

She subsequently married Douglas who is now a follower of the Swans himself.

After pulling away from their rivals in the closing stages of the season, Sheffield United confirmed their place back in the Premier League after two years away for the upcoming 2023-24 campaign.

He wasn’t the fancied choice by all when appointed to replace Slavisa Jokanovic in the dugout in 2021, but Paul Heckingbottom has guided the Blades back to the top flight with a squad similar to the one that went up all the way back in 2019

Heckingbottom may need to make some tough decisions though this summer with contracts coming to an end within his playing squad, with one of those individuals in need of sorting out being Wes Foderingham.

What is Wes Foderingham’s current situation at Sheffield United?

Like a number of Sheffield United’s squad from this past season, Foderingham’s contract will expire at the end of this month, having signed a three-year contract when arriving at Bramall Lane in 2020.

Heckingbottom is keen to keep a large chunk of his squad around though from the promotion-winning campaign, and that seemingly includes Foderingham as well.

According to a report from Alan Nixon on Patreon, the Blades hierarchy are keen to offer Foderingham an extended stay at the club and potentially giving him a chance in the Premier League.

Foderingham himself wants to fight for his spot in-between the sticks, having been the backup to Aaron Ramsdale the last time United were in the Premier League two years ago, but it’s unclear right now as to whether the club intend to sign another goalkeeper as well as competition.

Should Wes Foderingham sign a contract extension with Sheffield United?

At the age of 32 now, Foderingham won’t get many more chances to be involved with a Premier League squad unless he become a third-choice goalkeeper later down the line, much like a Scott Carson.

Before he signed for United in 2020, he hadn’t even been a regular at Championship level, with the Scottish Premiership and EFL League One being the peak of his performances.

He’s rarely let United down in the Championship though and it would be fair to give Foderingham his chance in the Premier League for what he’s done for the club over the previous two seasons.

But football can be a ruthless game and if Heckingbottom believes he will be better served by a goalkeeper with a bit more Premier League experience, then Foderingham could find himself benched again when he’s good enough to be starting every week in the Championship.

Leicester City flag – Squad Numbers

Should Wes Foderingham sign a contract extension with Sheffield United?

At the age of 32 now, Foderingham won’t get many more chances to be involved with a Premier League squad unless he become a third-choice goalkeeper later down the line, much like a Scott Carson.

Before he signed for United in 2020, he hadn’t even been a regular at Championship level, with the Scottish Premiership and EFL League One being the peak of his performances.

He’s rarely let United down in the Championship though and it would be fair to give Foderingham his chance in the Premier League for what he’s done for the club over the previous two seasons.

But football can be a ruthless game and if Heckingbottom believes he will be better served by a goalkeeper with a bit more Premier League experience, then Foderingham could find himself benched again when he’s good enough to be starting every week in the Championship.

Middlesbrough’s top 5 most famous supporters

Here, we have decided to take a closer look at some of the famous faces that follow Middlesbrough.

Middlesbrough will be hoping to deliver a positive response to their recent play-off defeat when the 2023/24 campaign gets underway in August.

Boro managed to make some major progress under the guidance of head coach Michael Carrick last season as they secured a fourth-place finish in the Championship standings.

hile Boro could not overcome Coventry City in the sem-finals of the play-offs, they are clearly heading in the right direction as a club.

With the transfer window set to open this month, Middlesbrough will be determined to secure the services of some classy operators over the course of the summer.

Famous Middlesbrough supporters

Putting a pin in all that, though, we have decided to take a closer look at some of the famous

individuals who support Boro.

Check them out below:

Bob Mortimer

Bob Mortimer is an avid Middlesbrough fan, and regarded former player John Hickton as his childhood hero.

Mortimer achieved fame as part of a double act with Vic Reeves (Vic and Bob).

The comedian has also featured on TV shows Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing,

Taskmaster, and Would I Lie to You?

Glen Durrant

Glen Durrant is also a Boro fan and paraded the BDO World Darts Championship trophy around the Riverside Stadium after winning this tournament in 2017

This was the first of three world titles that Durrant won during his time with the BDO before making the switch to the Professional Darts Corporation.

Durrant opted to retire from the professional circuit last year, and now plays occasionally on the World Senior Darts Tour.

Who does Chris Rea support?

Chris Rea decided to release a song for Middlesbrough’s 1997 FA Cup final, which they lost to Chelsea.

Mortimer helped to provide new lyrics for Let’s Dance, which paid homage to Boro.

Rea achieved fame as a singer, and has released six albums during his career which have charted in the top-five in the United Kingdom.

Rea has also released two singles, The Road to Hell and Driving Home for Christmas, which have charted in the top-ten.

Chris Kamara is also a well-known Boro supporter, and was born in the town.

During his career as a footballer, Kamara had a brief spell on loan at Middlesbrough.

Kamara’s fame in the football community came thanks to his regular appearances on Soccer Saturday, and Goals on Sunday.

Boro’s supporters paid tribute to the 65-year-old last season during the club’s clash with Rotherham United following his Apraxia diagnosis.

Apraxia is a speech sound disorder.

James Arthur

James Arthur is also an avid follower of Middlesbrough.

Arthur achieved stardom when he won The X Factor in 2012.

 

 

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