New Foxes chief Martin in his

Norwich City’s triple promotion winner Russell Martin has dealt with the ‘frustration’ from his bruising Rangers spell and is now ready to lead Leicester’s revival.

Martin is back in the Football League after a 17-game stint at Ibrox saw him dismissed in October 2025.

The 40-year-old is over his Glasgow disappointment, and ready to prove his worth again following earlier coaching stints at MK Dons, Swansea and Southampton alongside long time assistant, Matt Gill.

“I think the previous break I had from the game (at Southampton) I genuinely wanted a break from the game because I've been 20 years playing and managing, but this one, when I finished in October, I almost had a bit of frustration,” he said. “So the energy's been about making sure for my next job I'm ready and try to improve as many things as possible.

“I spoke to a lot of people, presented myself on a few coaching things around the country, just because I have a real passion for coaching and meeting people there as well and taking different things from different people. It's been great and I hope to show that.

“I feel I'm in the best place I ever have been to go and deliver something that people feel connected to it, people feel proud of, and a team that wins, and that's why we're here. We need to win. And we need to win in a way that we want to win it.

“I can't wait. I think the thing I’ve missed the most being out of a job is being on the grass with the players. I love coaching, I love working with players and it’s what I have a passion for, being on the training pitch with them. It's the best bit of a job, and I'm excited about that.”

“I'm still only 40, so I still deem myself as a fairly young manager, but I feel quite experienced. I've learned from everywhere I've been, different clubs, different places, different challenges, and this is different in its own way.”

Russell Martin and former Norwich City team mate Matt Gill had a short stint at Rangers after working together at MK Dons, Swansea and Southampton (Image: Jeremy Landey/Focus Images Ltd)

Leicester have suffered consecutive relegations but Martin sees the potential of the League One Foxes.

“I think it’s a chance to build something here with big energy and build some connections with what we're going to try and do,” he said. “The excitement, and the feeling I had about it all, was the biggest attraction, feeling that it's going to be a really amazing experience.

"I have big energy and I felt really ready to come back. I've watched football in a lot of different countries, I've been all over Europe watching football and spent a lot of time studying lots of different football. It's been really good for me.

“My job is to bring that energy myself, to convince the players to bring that energy and the staff around everyone else. It's not about me, it's not about one person, it's about us being together and just aiming and heading in the right direction, in the same direction, and giving everything.

“The only thing I'm ever going to ask from the players and the staff here, and of myself, is to be all in and give everything I possibly can, and for them to do the same when on the training pitch, when on the pitch at the King Power, when we are having to fight and compete for the supporters, for the football club, that we give everything, all the time.

“But first, we need to be a machine that is together, that fights together, that runs together, that works together, and hopefully people in the stands and everyone will see that and feel that, and then we can start adding the exciting stuff after that.”

Martin had plenty of battles as a Norwich player with Leicester during an eight year spell.

“Having played against Leicester in League One when they won the league many, many moons ago, I feel really old,” he said, speaking to his new club’s official channels. “I’ve played against them in the Championship here as a manager and as a player, played against them in the Premier League here. I felt that energy as an opposition, as an opponent. So now I'm really excited about feeling that in the dugout here.

“We have to make sure the players give everything they possibly can to give the supporters, who are the most important people at every football club, because they've been here long before me and long after me they'll be here, something to be proud of.

“That's my job, to give them a team that wins and one they feel they can really go on a journey with.”