Marc Albrighton almost missed out on Leicester City glory when EFL rivals came knocking

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Marc Albrighton is a huge part of Leicester City history.

Regarded as one of the best free transfers in football, Albrighton did it all at the King Power Stadium, including a great escape, winning the Premier League, scoring the club’s first ever Champions League goal, lifting the FA Cup and even won the Championship in his final season at the club.

Pretty good, right?

Now, imagine if he had never chosen to join Leicester. First of all, he would’ve missed out on a golden era for the club and additionally, his own career would’ve looked very different.

That almost happened when the winger was released by his boyhood Aston Villa.

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Marc Albrighton nearly turned down Leicester City

Speaking on the Under the Cosh podcast in September 2024, Albrighton discussed the highs and lows of his career and of course, came onto the topic of Leicester.

The winger was one of the Foxes’ first signings upon their return to the Premier League after a 10-year absence in 2014, but he revealed that Sunderland and a host of other Championship teams.

“There were about four or five clubs interested,” he revealed. “Leicester was obviously one of them, there was Hull City, West Brom, Sunderland.

“I looked it and I think West Brom didn’t have a manager at the time, Hull weren’t doing great, so I narrowed it down to Leicester and Sunderland and I spoke to Gus Poyet at Sunderland and they were offering more money.

“I just ended up choosing Leicester for whatever reason, like whether it’s location or, I just, I looked it and I just thought, yeah, I’m probably going to fit in. Sunderland just went down and down again and obviously Leicester did what they did.”

Marc Albrighton’s Leicester City career in numbers

Although he fulfilled a boyhood dream to play for Aston Villa, it was his time at Leicester that football fans will remember most.

Considering he was brought in for nothing, his 10 years at the King Power Stadium were more successful than he ever could’ve imagined.

His biggest moments, aside from the two major trophies won, will be his Champions League goals against Club Brugge and Sevilla.

The goal against Brugge was Leicester’s first ever goal in a Champions League game and his strike against Sevilla that same season was enough to send the Foxes through to the quarter finals.

No English side got further than the Foxes that year.