Russell Martin in line for managerial return amid latest Championship developments
Russell Martin could be set to return to management in the Championship in the coming weeks.
The former Southampton boss was heavily criticised during his brief stint in charge of Rangers earlier this season, which ultimately culminated in him losing his job in early October.
Football Insider revealed in November that Martin was in contention to return to Southampton after his former club sacked Will Still, but they instead opted to promote from within with Tonda Eckert.
The 40-year-old has been out of work since he was shown the door at Ibrox, but that could now be about to change, as he could be in line for a potential return to the Championship.
Russell Martin among favourites for Leicester City job
Leicester City finally sacked Marti Cifuentes on Sunday after their recent defeat at home to Oxford United left them sitting 14th in the Championship.
The Foxes have endured a difficult campaign after their relegation back to the second tier last season, and the pressure on the manager has finally told after a lengthy period of inconsistent results.
Leicester have placed first-team coach Andy King in interim charge of the team in order to buy themselves time to get their next appointment right, and there are already a number of candidates being linked with the vacant position.
Martin is among the early favourites to take over at the King Power Stadium, with one major bookmaker even pricing him at odds as low as 4/1.
King is the only man who is deemed to currently have a stronger chance of getting the job than Martin, while the likes of Lee Carsley, Steven Gerrard and Robbie Keane are also in the running at this early stage.
Martin’s Championship record compared to Marti Cifuentes’
Martin has been linked with several Championship jobs in recent months, as he was most recently put forward as a possible candidate to take over at Oxford after they sacked Gary Rowett.
The former centre-back has tasted plenty of success in the Championship throughout his managerial career, having previously led Swansea City before winning promotion through the play-offs with Southampton in 2023-24.
| Manager | Games | W | D | L | Win % |
| Russell Martin | 138 | 60 | 34 | 44 | 43.5% |
| Marti Cifuentes | 107 | 37 | 31 | 39 | 34.6% |
His record in the division is far superior to that of Cifuentes, who has struggled to break above mid-table with either Leicester or QPR.
The Spaniard’s win percentage in the Championship stands at 34.6 per cent, while Martin’s sits at a much healthier total of 43.5 per cent.
He may have been chastised for the job that he did at Rangers earlier in the season, but if he were to get the job at the King Power, then it would be hard to argue that Martin wouldn’t be an upgrade on Cifuentes.