Leicester City have confirmed that former Bristol City midfielder and Wales international Andy King has joined the Foxes’ first-team coaching staff.
King spent three seasons at Ashton Gate, joining the Robins in the summer of 2021 as a free agent following a spell in Belgium with OH Leuven and a brief loan move to Huddersfield Town.
Although the former Leicester midfielder was never exactly a regular in red and white, he was a valuable member of Nigel Pearson’s playing squad. The now 36-year-old provided an experienced head in an otherwise young and inexperienced changing room alongside the likes of Matty James and Andi Weimann.
Having played 31 times in all competitions in the 2022/23 campaign, Pearson’s last full season in charge of the Reds, King saw his involvement reduced following the appointment of Liam Manning last term. With only four Championship starts under his belt and his contract due to expire in the summer, the midfielder announced his decision to retire at the end of last season.
Following an emotional goodbye after the Robins’ final day thumping at the hands of Stoke, the former Wales international hung up his boots. In the summer, the 36-year-old linked up with Leicester City’s under-18s to assist head coach Adam Barradell and after just a matter of months with the youth side, the Foxes have confirmed that King has now taken on a role within Ruud van Nistelrooy’s set-up.
Discussing the decision, the Leicester boss said: “Andy is one of the people in the club with Leicester City in the DNA. What has impressed me most is his eye for the team and for the details of the game. He’s very bright in his ideas and we’re aligned in the idea of how to bring Leicester City forward.
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“[Early on] I asked him to be a part of the first team with the coaching staff. He really liked it, we all did and also the players. He’s fully a part of that set-up now and I’m happy that he’s helping us with his knowledge of the club and also of football. He also is a bridge with the academy.
“We have players like Jeremy Monga and Jake Evans who are with us a couple of days a week and he’s guiding these players so they’re not caught in the middle. That’s one of his important tasks. It’s fantastic to have him here.”
King and Leicester are next in action on Friday evening. While his former Bristol City teammates face Middlesbrough at Ashton Gate, the Foxes welcome Brentford to the King Power Stadium as they look to climb away from the Premier League relegation zone.