Leicester City Winning Team: The 2015/16 Premier League season was one for the history books for only one reason. Leicester City who fought relegation just a season ago, rose up to become Champions of England.
It was a one-in-a-million fairytale story and those who were able to witness it should feel very special. From a rock-solid defense to terrifying wingers and a record-breaking striker, the team was unplayable during that season.
7 years on, we’d like to take a look at what happened to those players, primarily the first 11, and find out what cards life dealt them afterward.
1. Wes Morgan
Let’s start with their larger-than-life captain, Wes Morgan. The center-back was the one who lifted the trophy and was a household name at the King Power stadium even before that. After the title win, he would subsequently remain at the club signing one-year deals.
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However, the former Jamaican international called time on his career in June 2021, just a year short of his ten-year anniversary with the side. He however got the chance to be part of one last trophy lift as Leicester won the FA Cup in May of that year. Following his retirement, Morgan has become a pundit on Sky Sports, regularly featuring whenever the Foxes are on television.
2. Robert Huth
We would be wrong not to mention Morgan’s partner in crime that season, Robert Huth. The two made a solid center-back pairing, making league strikers terrified of coming up against them. Despite various other arrivals at his position including Harry Maguire, Huth would play a large role at the club up until his contract expired in 2018.
Huth would then go on to confirm his retirement from professional football with immediate effect. Following the announcement of his retirement, Huth has kept a low profile and despite returning to Germany in 2021, not much is known about his life post-football. He would make his return to Leicester in 2022 but this time as a loans manager.
3. Kasper Schmeichel
Someone Leicester fans would love to see back was their number 1 for many years, Kasper Schmeichel. The son of arguably the greatest goalkeeper in Premier League history, he had quite a shadow looming over his career but he delivered and then some. The Dane only let in 36 goals in the 38 games of that season, a stark change given that he let in 55 the previous season.
Schmeichel went on to become captain of the Foxes, helping them to the FA Cup win in 2021 before leaving Leicester in the summer of 2022. He was sold to French side Nice for a small undisclosed fee, but after a single campaign in France, was released. He has recently joined Belgium side RSC Anderlecht, where he still continues to make world-class saves at 37.
4. Danny Simpson
We can’t forget the efforts of the fullbacks that helped stop most wingers in the league that season. At right back they had Danny Simpson who remained a starter for the club even after that season until the arrival of Ricardo Pereira in 2018. He was subsequently released a year later after his contract expired and spent three months without a club.
Huddersfield would swoop in for him and that is where he finished his 2019/20 season before deciding to have a year out. He arrived at Bristol City in March 2021 but was released after a year.
He recently signed for seventh-tier club Macclesfield FC where he trains and occasionally plays. He has also taken up a role as a pundit for Manchester United’s in-house TV channel while also back at Carrington observing and learning with the Academy staff as he studies for his coaching badges.
5. Christian Fuchs
Simpson’s partner on the left-hand side was always the calm and collected Christian Fuchs. In terms of fans’ favorites, it will be tough to find a player who was adored as much as Christian Fuchs. The Austrian defender arrived at Leicester City in 2015 and spent six years with the Foxes, despite being replaced by Ben Chilwell in the season following the title triumph.
He would remain with the club until the conclusion of the 20/21 season, leaving on a high like his captain after the FA Cup win. He moved to the USA after, joining Charlotte Independence and then Charlotte FC who play in the MLS before deciding to call time on his career in 2023. He is now an assistant coach for Charlotte.
They say midfield is the most important area of the field and Leicester happened to have one of the best that season where some true stars were born.
6. Riyad Mahrez
We begin on the right with a player who has gone on to have an amazing career despite his earlier price tags- Riyad Mahrez. Arguably Leicester’s deadliest and most important player that season, who can forget his wand of a left foot and all the goals he scored? He arrived at the King Power for just £500,000 in 2014 and scored 28 goals in 39 appearances during the time run. What a bargain!
His season would ultimately win him the PFA Players’ Player of the Season award, a bonus to his Premier League medal. He remained at Leicester City until the Summer of 2018 when he completed a £62 million move to reigning champions Manchester City.
At the Etihad Stadium, Mahrez won multiple Premier League and FA Cup medals as well as helping the club to their first-ever Champions League title just this past season. With his minutes dwindling, he was sold to Saudi Arabia outfit Al-Ahli in the summer where he has scored and assisted 7 goals each in only 17 appearances.
7. N’Golo Kante
From one bargain to another, we move on to the man with three lungs- N’Golo Kante. He made 40 appearances for the Foxes and contributed to five goals. He however stopped plenty of goals and intercepted countless passes which earned him a much-deserved move to Chelsea after that season.
He would win the Premier League with the Blues in the very next season, claiming the PFA Players’ Player of the Season award that same year. He would go on to win more trophies at Chelsea including a Champions League as the world finally realized how good he is.
Not to mention a World Cup trophy with France in 2018, earning him a spot in the FIFA Team of the Year. He would fall out of favor at the Bridge soon as his injuries began playing a larger part, stopping him from being on the field. As a result, Chelsea would sell him to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad in the summer where he has been able to remain relatively fit.
8. Danny Drinkwater
Leicester teammates who followed each other to Chelsea, Danny Drinkwater is the midfielder arrived in 2012 and spent five years at the King Power Stadium making over 280 first-team appearances before leaving for Chelsea in 2017. This is where his career went the absolute opposite direction as Kante’s.
He would fail to impress on multiple occasions at the Blues leading to loan spells at Aston Villa and Burnley as well as a spell in Turkey where his career continued to decline. He would spend last season at Reading before finally calling time on his career in October of this year.
9. Marc Albrighton
Lastly on the left of the midfield four we have Marc Albrighton. He arrived at the club on a free transfer from Aston Villa in 2014 and remains one of two on this list who still remain at Leicester.
He has made 300 first-team appearances for the Foxes, contributing to 66 goals in all competitions so far. He spent the second half of last season with West Bromwich Albion on loan but has returned to the King Power Stadium and made seven appearances so far this season under new manager Enzo Maresca.
The Foxes played with a front two that season with one player scoring heaps of goals and the other his perfect foil, allowing his partner to shine while assisting on a number of his goals.
10. Shinji Okazaki
Firstly we have the lesser-known of the two, Shinji Okazaki. He arrived at the club in the summer before their title win for just under £10 million. Despite garnering a reputation of a ‘hit-and-miss’ forward back in Germany, he proved to be the perfect strike partner for our next entry, even chipping in with several goals and assists himself.
Okazaki remained with Leicester until his contract expired in 2019 before moving to Malaga and then Huesca helping them to promotion into La Liga. He currently plays for Belgium side Sint-Truiden at the age of 37.
11. Jamie Vard
Our list could never be complete without the man who broke records that season and was the face of the team- Jamie Vardy. He broke Van Nistelrooy’s record for consecutive games scored in that season against none other than Manchester United. He now owns the record at 11. He would also score 24 league goals, leading the Foxes charge to the title.
He has gone on to establish himself as one of the best goal-scorers in English history, even getting his hands on the Golden Boot in the 2019/20 campaign. He’s since helped the club win the FA Cup, and Community Shield as well as starting in the Champions League, remaining with the Foxes to date despite plenty of outside interest.
Despite several injuries, Vardy has made nine appearances this season, scoring three goals and assisting another as the Foxes sit top of the Championship.
Claudio Ranieri
Lastly, we have the man who made it all possible for his team, the manager Claudio Ranieri. Dubbed “The Tinkerman” during his time at Chelsea, Ranieri is still going strong even at 71 years old.
He is currently under contract at Cagliari, where he has led them back to the Serie A.
A great achievement indeed but the title win with Leicester will always be what he is remembered for.
Is there anyone else you remember from that historic team?
Let us know in the comments.
