A former Premier League boss and Page 3 icon’s husband is the favourite to land the Leicester City job as the Foxes look to bounce back immediately to the second tier after relegation
Leicester City are reportedly making progress in their discussions to secure a former Premier League boss and the husband of a Page 3 icon as their new manager.
Former Southampton and Rangers boss Russell Martin has been on the Foxes’ shortlist for several years and was believed to be in the frame last summer before Marti Cifuentes got the nod. However, the 40-year-old still remains at the top of the club’s list despite suffering relegation to League One.
Martin has been out of a job since he was sacked by Rangers following just 17 matches at the club last term. He had previously guided Southampton to the Premier League through the Championship play-offs.
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Now, The Telegraph’s John Percy has reported that the Foxes are in ‘advanced talks’ to bring in Martin. It’s understood that the former Scotland international hasn’t agreed to the role yet, but remains Leicester’s top choice.
Since his last managerial job, Martin tied the knot with Page 3 icon Lucy Pinder in February of this year. Lucy and Martin have been an item since 2024, and rumours started after they were out together when Martin was given an honorary degree by Brighton University – while he was manager at St Mary’s.
Lucy made her name as a glamour model – and was a regular in magazines such as FHM, Nuts and Loaded in the early 2000s.
She appeared topless in Nuts Magazine and was listed on FHM’s “100 Sexiest Women in the World” on several occasions.
In 2007 she placed 92nd, in 2006 she was 35th and in 2005, she made the top 20, placing 16th. Also in 2007, Ralph Magazine honoured her with the title of “the best boobs in the world”.
However, she shot to more mainstream fame when she was a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother in 2009 along with stars such as Ulrika Johnson, La Toya Jackson, Tina Malone, Tommy Sheridan and Coolio – but she was the first to be evicted on day eight. She was also a regular on Soccer AM, while wearing her Southampton top.
But now she could be cheering on Leicester with club owner Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha said to be a fan of Martin’s approach, which bears strong similarities to the system Enzo Maresca implemented at the King Power Stadium during the 2023/24 campaign.
Gary Rowett is currently overseeing City but was brought in on a temporary basis with his deal set to run out at the close of last season. No word has been given on whether the 52-year-old will remain beyond that arrangement.
Alongside discussions with Leicester, Martin is also in talks with clubs both domestically and abroad. However, the challenge of lifting the Foxes out of the third tier is being ‘seriously’ weighed up. Pre-season will commence for City at the month’s end, providing Martin with ample time to train his squad. The Foxes are set to start their League One campaign in mid-August.