Micky Adams

Sheffield-born Adams - who was also a Sheffield United fan and started his playing career as a youngster at Bramall Lane - will be remembered for guiding City back to the Premier League at the first attempt when he fully took charge of the club in the 2002-03 season, a feat made even more impressive given the Foxes entered administration that season and weren't allowed to sign anyone.

Indeed, Adams somewhat made a name for himself as being a manager who could work minor miracles with clubs struggling financially, as he did with City when he took charge with the club in receivership, and also with Fulham and Brighton.

As a player he moved from the Blades' youth academy to Gillingham's, where he went on to make 92 league appearances before moving on to play similar stints with Coventry City - who he later went on to manage - and Leeds United. He spent the bulk of his playing days with Southampton before going on to Fulham, where he took his first managerial job as player-manager. It proved successful, with Adams helping the club avoid the drop to non-league football in 1996 and then taking them to promotion the following season, earning him the Third Division Manager of the Season award.

After Mohamed Al-Fayed took over Fulham Adams was dismissed, and he went on to short player-manager spells with Swansea and Brentford before Dave Bassett offered him the chance to be his assistant manager at Nottingham Forest. Following Bassett's dismissal, Adams followed him out of the door and went on to manage Brighton, where he enjoyed great success in helping them stay in the league and earn promotion the following season, in 2000-01. He also oversaw a great start to the following season, which lay the foundations for another promotion for the Seagulls, which was completed by Peter Taylor after Adams left Brighton in October 2001.

He joined City as assistant manager to Bassett, for a second time following his stint at Forest, citing reasons to get closer to his dream of managing in the Premier League. The 'carrot' that attracted him to the Walkers Stadium was the fact that Bassett was to move 'upstairs' at the end of the season, leaving Adams free to take full control for the 2002-03 season. He did just that, but only after Leicester were relegated from the top flight. Still, despite City going into receivership and being banned from making transfers until a takeover was complete, Adams produced minor miracles in guiding the club back to the Premier League at the first attempt, finishing second behind Portsmouth.

He signed a new three-year deal with the club at the end of that season, and went on to manage the club in the Premier League for the 2003-04 campaign. But from then on things proved problematic, with City suffering relegation and becoming known somewhat as a 'yo-yo' club. He was also in charge when trouble flared in La Manga, Spain, when three players were charged with sexual assault. The allegations proved false but they were testing times, with Adams offering his resignation but the club rejecting it.

But in October 2004, with the club suffering a poor start to their Championship campaign, and looking unlikely to bounce back to the top flight, Adams resigned as Foxes manager. He later went on to manager Coventry City, Port Vale and Sheffield United.