Top 10 Best Leicester City Manager Ever (Ranked)

This generation was lucky enough to witness the greatness that led to a Premier League title win from the greatest Leicester City manager. But how was the club formed before his reign and how is the club holding up now? The club came back to the Premier League this season after being in the 2nd division. With that, we saw a managerial change too.

From Enzo Maresca to Steve Cooper, the club has the intention to not only stay in the League but to get their glory days back. Nigel Pearson is the best Leicester City manager of all time. When it comes to the managerial reign of Leicester City, there is a mix and match of weird and greatness. Join us as we take a trip back to see each of the last 10 Leicester City manager.

List of Best Leicester City Manager of All Time

Here is the list of the greatest Leicester City manager of all time based on their tenure, achievements, leagcy, and win ratio. We tried our best to provide our readers with the complete list, with brief individual sections and ranking factors.

How We Ranked the Top 10 Best Leicester City Managers

Tenure: The primary factor that was considered while compiling this list was these managers’ tenure. How long they stayed at the club matters while we ranked them. Good managers get to stay longer and this made it more easiere for us.

Win Ratio (%): This parameter shows how many games they won and how influential they were while leading the club. It’s the best way to compare managers from different times.

Achievements/Trophies: The last ranking factor that was considered while ranking the best Leicester City manager was their achievements or trophies won during their time at the club. Winning things is what matters most, be it League titles, cups, and promotions; everything counts.

Who is the Best Leicester City Manager of All Time?

Now, let’s move on to the individual section of these great managers who made Leicester City’s legacy and history rich with their tactics and hard work.

10. Gordon Milne (1982 – 1986)

Gordon Milne managed Leicester during a tough period in the 1980s. The club was struggling in the lower divisions. Milne worked hard to turn things around. He had to rebuild the team from scratch. His job was to get Leicester back to where they belonged. It wasn’t easy but he never gave up.

Milne’s time at Leicester was about all surviving for now and rebuilding. He managed to keep the club going during difficult times. His experience helped Leicester through some dark days. Milne showed real character as a manager and proved that sometimes just keeping a club alive is itself an achievement.

9. Craig Shakespeare (2017)

Craig Shakespeare had a short but memorable time as Leicester manager. He took over after Claudio Ranieri left. Shakespeare was already at the club as assistant manager. He knew the players well. He joined the club during a difficult time, as they were struggling in the Premier League.

Shakespeare managed to steadied the ship quickly and started getting good results right away. The players performed well to under his tactics and leadership. He helped Leicester avoid relegation that season. Shakespeare proved he could handle the pressure of managing Leicester. His brief spell showed he had what it takes to be a Premier League manager.

8. Matt Gillies (1958 – 1968)

Matt Gillies spent ten years as Leicester City manager, that’s shows how good of a manager he was for Leicester City. He was there through some big changes at the club. Gillies helped Leicester establish themselves in the top divisions. His teams were consistent and well-drilled. He knew how to get the best out of his players.

Gillies managed Leicester during their golden period in the 1960s. They reached the FA Cup final twice under his leadership. Leicester lost both finals but getting there was still amazing. His teams played football with a winning mindset, that fans loved watching.

7. Frank O’Farrell (1968 – 1971)

Frank O’Farrell did surprise everyone by bringing Leicester City back and guided them to the FA Cup final in 1971. The Irishman got them promoted to the First Division in 1971. He knew how to build a winning mentality in his team, making Leicester City into a competitive team.

But his feat with Leicester City made him noticed by bigger clubs and Manchester United, in the end, hired him after his Leicester success. His promotion achievement was massive for Leicester fans.

6. Peter Hodge (1919 – 1926)

Peter Hodge was one of Leicester City’s first great managers. The Scottishman ran the club for seven years in the 1920s. Hodge helped rebuild the down-and-out Leicester into a proper football club. He had an eye to spot good players and develop their talents. His teams were well organized and hard to beat.

Hodge worked during Leicester’s early years in the Football League. Although he didn’t won many silverware apart from one Second Division title, but he did laid the groundwork for future success. The club was still finding its feet in those days. Hodge gave them direction and stability.

5. Martin O’Neill (1995 – 2000)

Martin O’Neill made Leicester City, an exciting team to watch in the 90s. The Irishman brought attacking football to Filbert Street. His teams always tried to score goals. O’Neill got Leicester promoted to the Premier League in 1996.

They stayed up and became a solid top-flight club under him. O’Neill’s Leicester were giant killers in cup competitions. They reached two League Cup finals during his time. Under him, the team beat some of the big clubs along the way. The fans loved watching his side play.

4. Brendan Rodgers (2019 – 2023)

Brendan Rodgers’ tenure at the Club has been exceptional. In his managerial reign, Leicester City won both the Emirates FA Cup and the FA Community Shield. Joining the Foxes on 27th February, 2019, the manager had qualified for European competition twice.

That being said, his achievements are not limited to the Premier League. During his tenure at Glasgow, he had a 69-game unbeaten run. He even won every single domestic cup in Scotland. Everything was working perfectly until it was the 2022 World Cup, when Leicester City started onto a horrendous run in the League.

3. Claudio Ranieri (2015 – 2017)

After Nigel Pearson, the only manager who made Leicester City to not just survive in the first division of English football but actually winning the league was Claudio Ranieri. Getting his hands on the prized trophy, the Premier League title, in 2016. Nobody thought it was possible.

Leicester were marked underdogs with a chance of 5000-1 to lift the title. Yet, Ranieri proved everyone wrong, hence becoming the biggest shock in the English football history. The Italian manager went on to become a legend overnight.

2. Enzo Maresca (2023 – 2024)

The Italian Manager will always be famous in the history of Leicester City. He arrived at the club on 1st July 2023. He gave the Foxes their 8th Sky Bet Championship. Due to him working side-by-side with Pep Guardiola at City and helping them win the Premier League and the European trophies, the hopes were high for him set by the fans. And he delivered.

Working with the likes of Marcello Lippi, Pep Guardiola, and Carlo Ancelotti, his tactics and approach to a game, along with the right decisions with signings, he has indeed turned the fortunes of Leicester City. Staying true to his ideologies, the Italian has made the groundwork before his departure on 20th June 2024.

1. Nigel Pearson (2008 – 2015)

Nigel Pearson was the manager who made Leicester City great again in the English top flight. Pearson took them from League One to the English Premier League. That’s an amazing journey, not only that he won the League One title in 2009 as well. Then he got the Championship title in 2014.

Pearson knew how to build winning teams. He made players believe in themselves again. His best work came when Leicester looked doomed in the Premier League. They were bottom at Christmas. Everyone thought they would go down. But Pearson turned it around.