The Leicester City Premier League title triumph is a story still told today.
The Foxes were famously 5000-1 to win the league as they only just managed to avoid relegation the season prior.
Leicester’s squad was made up of rejects in the eyes of many and the appointment of Claudio Ranieri, who had just been sacked by Greece, was seen as a baffling decision at the time.
Indeed, as it happened, the Italian inspired one of the greatest stories in sporting history and still to this day, many reminisce on the achievement.
One of the title-winners Marc Albrighton, who announced his retirement in the summer, has just shared a very interesting story from the season prior to the 2016 triumph.
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Marc Albrighton wanted to leave Leicester during 2014/15 season
During Leicester’s historic 5-3 victory against Manchester United in September 2014, Marc Albrighton was on a farm, frozen out of the squad under Nigel Pearson.
In a podcast with Undr The Cosh, Albrighton revealed he wanted to leave at that point.
Host: “So at this point, you’re regretting the move aren’t you?”
Albrighton: “Oh massively. I was thinking, I’m looking to get out, already, just signed a four year deal.
Host: “And you’re probably thinking Championship at best when you’re on the farm with the kids.
Albrighton: “Yeah, but I started doubting myself then as well because I just couldn’t get anywhere near it.
“So then I started going, am I training well or am I just being biased here?
“Am I seeing something else to what everyone else is seeing?
Marc Albrighton shares how he got back into the starting XI
Albrighton managed to get back into the starting XI later in the season when Pearson changed to a five at the back system, which allowed the former Aston Villa wideman to operate as a wing-back.
Host: “What was it that changed, was it that you were just given that opportunity?”
Albrighton: “Yeah, he changed the formation. He went with a back five with wingbacks. So he put me right wing-back and I think Jeff Schlupp was left wing-back.
“And then, yeah, just kept with that system and we won seven out of the last nine that season to stay up and I’m sure we finished 14th that season in the end, considering we were dead and buried at Christmas.”
As the story goes, Albrighton never looked back from there and cemented himself as a Leicester legend but it could’ve been so different had he forced a move away.