Muzzy Izzet - every team needs one!

[coolhandfox]

Unrated outside of LCFC fans.

 

Fabulous player.

[Pliskin]

10 hours ago, davieG said:

Every PL goal.

 

What a player, so versatile long range, headers, penalties and a dynamo in midfield.  So reliable and vastly underrated by England and the media. The type of player that's hard to replace it at all possible.

 

 

However could Jordan James go some way to emulate him or at least come very near?

James reminds me of Muzz. The way he moves around the pitch, his variation of goals. Just needs to work on that killer dead ball delivery. 
 

Still never seen a player have the ability to put the ball directly into the danger area with pace every single time. 

[Guy]

My mates at the time ("who knew - nothing"! - and supported other teams), used to jest "What Izzet?!" and thought he was bang average, lol! Basically the polar opposite to what he was for us, when on loan from Chelsea in the Championship's crucial run in to the play offs under O'Neill in '96 and then in the Prem. for those few successful years - and then back in the second tier for that one successful season under Adams in 2002-03 of course! Hope our present loanee can emulate him (JJ), if he sticks around! He's not got anywhere near the same quality "rough diamond" players around him though.

Edited 9 November 2025 by Guy

[TonyN11]

18 hours ago, izzymuzzet said:

Palmer's last game for England was in 1993. By the time Izzet was playing in the Premier League you had Ince, Beckham, Scholes, McManaman and then not long after that Gerrard and Lampard came along. As good as Izzet was (my favourite ever Leicester player and my childhood hero), I think he himself would admit he wasn't quite as good as any of those. 

Thank you! Clearly my memory isn't what it was. 

[cropstonfox]

20 hours ago, izzymuzzet said:

Palmer's last game for England was in 1993. By the time Izzet was playing in the Premier League you had Ince, Beckham, Scholes, McManaman and then not long after that Gerrard and Lampard came along. As good as Izzet was (my favourite ever Leicester player and my childhood hero), I think he himself would admit he wasn't quite as good as any of those. 

He stayed at Leicester too long.With the mercenary Agents of today he would have been peddled all around Europe and got

a move to a Top Top club.Then he would have played for England. 

[dmayne7]

12 hours ago, coolhandfox said:

Unrated outside of LCFC fans.

 

Fabulous player.

Say this every time he gets mentioned but I when I was a teenager, I was at a neighbour's party with Steve Bruce and some other ex Gillingham players and he was saying Muzzy was one of the best players he'd worked with (and he was talking about his playing days too). Was genuinely gutted that he had so many injuries and never got the best of him.

 

And people probably forget, Steve Bruce was actually a decent manager back in the day. Probably one of the most generous and genuine people around; He'd travelled down from Birmingham to Kent straight after a match (coincidentally a draw against us when Elvis Hammond had scored so it doesn't get much worse than that), all for a wedding anniversary party for one of his old coaches.

 

On Muzzy, shows how important timing was as if he'd been around 15 years later he'd easily have been a 50 cap player for England. Stupid that he never got a chance anyway. Reading his book, sounds like Turkey was always going to be impossible for him.

[OnlyOneCity]

1 hour ago, cropstonfox said:

He stayed at Leicester too long.With the mercenary Agents of today he would have been peddled all around Europe and got

a move to a Top Top club.Then he would have played for England. 

Not with Hoddle as manager. He stayed as we had a good side, regular trips to Wembley and European football. Not sure if playing abroad at that time, was beneficial for playing with England.

[Stadt]

I think if he had a traditional English nickname his career would have panned out differently tbh. Our gain however 

[bovril]

Like the 2016 team, the late 90s team was seriously underrated in terms of ability. English football fans still seem to struggle to believe international quality players can be found outside the traditionally big clubs, but it was even worse then. 

[Mike the Metal Ed]

On 09/11/2025 at 17:24, MPH said:

A few observations from that video..

 

 

1.id forgotten how good Heskey was at passing/ crossing

2. Guppy was by far the best crosser of the ball I have ever seen play for Leicester. No debate.

3. Izzet was very good with his head.

4. we’ve had some brilliant players over the years…

 

I was so proud when I was looking at the stats in a Merlin album one season and Steve Guppy had better either crossing or corners stats than David Beckham.

[Wymsey]

Has he still got his own local football business?

Edited 10 November 2025 by Wymsey

[Bert]

3 minutes ago, Wymsey said:

Has he still got own local football business?

He has yes. 
 

Technically Muzzy was outrageous. 
 

I cannot remember who it was specifically but I remember a former team mate saying that he once did something in training that made everyone stop.

[worksopfox]

Legend

[NAKC20]

18 minutes ago, Wymsey said:

Has he still got his own local football business?

AFDA along with Steve Walsh

[Corky]

His last two seasons saw him dominate Division One (with Paul Merson, they were a class above) and then have the most assists in the league in a relegated team. A superb player who was brilliant in the air for a shorter man.

 

Losing him led to our decline in 2004. We never were able to replace him.

[MPH]

6 hours ago, Mike the Metal Ed said:

I was so proud when I was looking at the stats in a Merlin album one season and Steve Guppy had better either crossing or corners stats than David Beckham.

 

love it!!

[Fox92]

My favourite goal of his remains that equaliser at Elland Road in 03/04. Not only a fantastic player but a fantastic captain too and, especially in his last two seasons, without him I don't think we maybe even get promoted. Adams said without Izzet we were just an average team and I think that was proved once he left (granted losing Dickov was a blow too).

[AKCJ]

Outside of Vardy he's my favourite ever Leicester player.

 

Should have played for England.

 

14 assists in a side that went down in 03/04. They're KDB numbers and he never had Erling Haaland or Sergio Aguero to aim at.

[Guest worth_the_wait]

It was like watching football on a different planet.

 

Crosses into the box.  Remember them?

[teblin]

On 09/11/2025 at 17:38, Plastik Man said:

I'd say James is stronger, but Muzzy had a better touch.

Muzzy quicker too.

 

Until mahrez id say izzet was the most skillful id seen in a Leicester shirt.

Edited 11 November 2025 by teblin

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

Great player for us in a golden era under MON, I remember when he signed it was Muzzy who? Full of running and contributing goals as well, he fitted in so well with Lennon, Parker and Taylor and later Savage, we had a midfield which played so well together. So many great memories of this period for us. 

[MPH]

I used to work in the pediatric intensive care unit at the Royal. there was a certain young girl who was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of Cancer. Muzzy was her favorite player. He didn’t just meet her for the publicity, he spent countless hrs at her bedside. Often being the only one there. When I say he was a legend,  I mean it -he was a legend. He didn’t have to do that. 

Edited 11 November 2025 by MPH

[FosseSpark]

On 09/11/2025 at 17:24, MPH said:

A few observations from that video..

 

 

1.id forgotten how good Heskey was at passing/ crossing

2. Guppy was by far the best crosser of the ball I have ever seen play for Leicester. No debate.

3. Izzet was very good with his head.

4. we’ve had some brilliant players over the years…

 

surely Albrighton must be in the top 3