Gary  Rowett responds to Leicester City manager rumour amid search for Marti Cifuentes successor

Gary Rowett responds to Leicester City manager rumour amid search for Marti Cifuentes successor

Gary Rowett played down speculation linking him with Leicester City’s vacant managerial role, stopping short of dismissing the rumours outright when questioned this week.

The former Birmingham City and Derby County boss, who recently departed Oxford United after successfully keeping them in the Championship last season, has emerged as one of the bookmakers’ favourites to succeed Marti Cifuentes at the King Power Stadium.

Cifuentes was dismissed following last weekend’s home defeat to Oxford, a result that left Leicester sitting 14th in the table. While City remain just six points adrift of the play-off places, a congested mid-table means there is little margin for error.

Rowett, who enjoyed a two-year spell as a Leicester player between 2000 and 2002, making 57 appearances, was working as a pundit on Sky Sports News during Tuesday night’s EFL coverage when the rumours were put to him. Rather than shutting the door on a potential return, the 51-year-old spoke warmly about the club.

“It’s a club I played for and it’s a fantastic football club,” Rowett said. “They’re obviously facing a difficult period at the moment, with talk of a possible points deduction hanging over them, which would mean they need a really strong finish to the season.

“But these things happen, don’t they? Sometimes there’s truth in the links, sometimes there isn’t. For now, I’m quite enjoying sitting here — at least for the evening.”

Rowett also joked about a previous appearance on the show when he was linked with the Cardiff City job, which ultimately went to former Leicester coach Brian Barry-Murphy.

“At least it’s better than being 50-1 for the Cardiff job,” he added. “That was the last time I was on here.”

Would you welcome Rowett as Leicester City’s next manager? Let us know your thoughts.

The LeicestershireLive football team continues to bring you the latest Leicester City news, features and transfer updates. Our dedicated reporter, Jordan Blackwell — who you can follow on X — provides comprehensive coverage from matchdays, press conferences and everything in between.

To make sure you never miss a key update, you can also sign up for our free daily newsletter, delivering the most important City stories straight to your inbox.