Emile Heskey: Leicester City must balance ambition with reality to bounce back

After a decade of unforgettable highs, including their miraculous Premier League title win in 2016, Leicester City now find themselves at a crossroads.

Relegated from the Premier League last season, the Foxes have endured a turbulent year marked by inconsistency, financial constraints, and now, significant transition.

Jamie Vardy, the club’s talisman and symbol of their modern golden era, has finally moved on.

Meanwhile, Marti Cifuentes has replaced Ruud van Nistelrooy as manager, signalling a fresh chapter in the club’s story.

Strategy

For Emile Heskey, a club legend who has seen Leicester evolve across generations, this shift is more than just managerial.

“You would like to think they know what they’re doing, and have a sensible strategy,” Heskey told BestBettingSites.co.uk.

“With the managers they’re going for recently, it’s a move away from Leicester’s traditional identity.

“We used to be known for fighting, working hard and hustling, but times have changed and they need to move forward.”

Moving forward, though, comes with risk. Leicester are no longer the overachievers punching above their weight in the top flight.

With their relegation and the impact of Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), they now face the difficult task of rebuilding without overextending financially.

Realism

According to Heskey, it’s a case of balancing ambition with realism.

“They now have to balance the books and sell some of their best players, but keep a spine that can still go up this year,” he said.

“With PSR, I think the ambition could and should be to consolidate.”

This new identity also leans heavily on youth development, an area Leicester have invested in for years but perhaps never relied on quite as much as they will this season.

“One thing they’re doing is to always give youth players their chance, which they need to develop,” the 47-year-old explained.

“Will Alves, Jake Evans, Jayden Joseph and Jeremy Monga all have the ability.”

Leicester City will be without Jamie Vardy for their return to the Championship

Explosive

Of those, Jeremy Monga is the name on everyone’s lips

At just 16, he has already been linked with clubs like Manchester City – for now, Leicester have held onto him, a small but important victory.

“One player they need to keep this season is Jeremy Monga – it’s great they kept hold of him,” Heskey said.

Comparisons to elite players are often premature at this stage of a young player’s development, but Heskey doesn’t shy away from likening Monga to an explosive winger from Manchester City.

“There aren’t many players with a similar makeup to him, but Jeremy Doku of Manchester City has a lot of similarities,” the ex-Liverpool striker added.

“Doku dribbles, drops his shoulder, takes a step away from the defender, uses stepovers… He plays on the left too, as a right-footer, and loves to cut inside.”

Steel

Yet while talent is abundant in Leicester’s ranks, experience remains just as vital.

Heskey believes players like Wilfried Ndidi and Hamza Choudhury will be crucial if the club is to remain competitive in the unforgiving environment of the Championship.

“Keeping Wilfried Ndidi is another one they need to keep hold of, because he’s got so much experience,” he said.

“He knows what it’s like to play in the Championship… And the same for Hamza Choudhury, because he gives them that steel in midfield.

“You need a player with spitefulness and bite, and he’s got that.”

When asked about whether the Foxes can bounce back to the Prem at the first time of asking, Heskey wasn’t hugely positive about his former club.

Optimistic

He said: “I’ll be very surprised if they do but I wouldn’t put it past them – especially with the new manager they’ve got in.”

”If he can dominate possession in the Championship, you’ve almost done half your job.”

It’s a big if. Heskey remained cautiously optimistic, noting that Cifuentes’ ability to control games will be key to their success.

“If he gets that right with the possession side of things, then I’d expect Leicester to do very well… If I’m honest, I’m not quite convinced though,” he emphasised.

”When they went down with the squad they’ve got, it makes it hard.”

Even if promotion isn’t immediate, the foundations are there for long-term growth: “If they keep their Championship status this year and then build on that with a good structure of youth players, they will have a chance.”

READ MORE: Jamie Vardy “perfect” for Sheffield United – says Don Hutchinson