Dion Dublin: Leicester City must focus on staying in League One before anything else

Dion Dublin has expressed his shock at Leicester City’s dramatic decline in recent years.

Reflecting on Leicester’s slump since their historic Premier League title triumph, the former Aston Villa and Coventry City striker admitted it feels surreal to see the Foxes struggling after losing core players over successive seasons.

The Foxes have won just two of their opening seven League One games this season, leaving them 14th in the table as Russell Martin looks to turn around a difficult start to his tenure.

“Leicester winning the league was huge – this drop-off has been huge as well,” Dublin told BetVictor.

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Dublin perplexed by Foxes’ downfall

“I never expected a club of Leicester’s size, with the players and quality they had, to drop like this.

“Has each player who left taken away a bit of the quality and backbone they had before? It’s strange seeing them down there.

“I go back home, see my family, and there’s not so much chat about Leicester anymore.

“Their fans are still there, of course, and they are a big club, but they’ll just be wanting to get back where they belong.

“Where they belong is in the Premier League, and they’ll have to find their feet, focus on staying in this league, and do well for now.”

Alli EFL return?

Turning his attention to former England international Dele Alli’s search for a new club, Dublin urged the midfielder to step into the EFL with a side like Barnet – where Dublin played on loan early in his own career – to regain match sharpness and rediscover his love for the game.

“I would love to see Dele Alli back in EFL, I really would,” he explained.

“We all remember the goal against Palace, right? That quality is still there.

“He needs to start enjoying his footy again, he needs to be seen, and he needs to be loved.

“Having played for Barnet on loan from Cambridge a long time ago, I know they are the kind of club that gives people a chance and a bit of a leg-up.”

Dublin: Quality still remains for Alli

Despite Alli’s recent career setbacks, Dublin remains convinced that the 29-year-old’s natural talent remains intact if he can secure regular game time.

“If Dele can get his head down and get 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 games in, he’ll rip it up,” Dublin added.

“That quality never leaves you. He’s got to look after his body, which he has been doing to keep fit, so the quality will always be there, without a doubt.”

Alli’s recent links with Barnet emerged after he was pictured training at the club’s Hive complex, prompting speculation he could join the League Two promotion contenders – although he was actually renting a pitch from the Kleanthous family, who own the club.

Bees boss Dean Brennan has since made clear there is no prospect of Alli signing, although he praised the former Tottenham Hotspur star and said he would be welcome to train with the squad if he wanted to.

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