Uncovering Muzzy Izzet's League Cup Winners Medal

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Uncovering Muzzy Izzet's League Cup Winners Medal

Club Historian John Hutchinson reveals another prized possession from our historical collection - Muzzy Izzet's 1997 League Cup Final winners medal.

2025-06-15T09:00+01:00

by John Hutchinson

Published

15 Jun, 2025

Uncovering Muzzy Izzet's League Cup Winners Medal

Club Historian John Hutchinson reveals another prized possession from our historical collection - Muzzy Izzet's 1997 League Cup Final winners medal.

John Hutchinson

2025-06-15T09:00+01:00

Uncovering Muzzy Izzet's League Cup Winners Medal

Club Historian John Hutchinson reveals another prized possession from our historical collection - Muzzy Izzet's 1997 League Cup Final winners medal.

John Hutchinson

2025-06-15T09:00+01:00

Uncovering Muzzy Izzet's League Cup Winners Medal

Club Historian John Hutchinson reveals another prized possession from our historical collection - Muzzy Izzet's 1997 League Cup Final winners medal.

John Hutchinson

2025-06-15T09:00+01:00

Uncovering Muzzy Izzet's League Cup Winners Medal

Club Historian John Hutchinson reveals another prized possession from our historical collection - Muzzy Izzet's 1997 League Cup Final winners medal.

John Hutchinson

2025-06-15T09:00+01:00

Izzet’s outstanding performances for the Foxes will live long in the memory. The midfielder played 319 games for Leicester City between March 1996 and July 2004, scoring 47 goals.

Martin O’Neill described him as: “one of the finest players ever to don a Leicester City shirt. He made his mark as a top-class midfielder, becoming an integral part of the Club’s success.”

Izzet won this medal as a key member of O’Neill’s side which won the League Cup Final replay at Hillsborough on 16 April, 1997, 10 days after the showpiece at Wembley had ended in a 1-1 draw following extra-time.

The inside of the box containing the medal indicates that it was made by Vaughton’s of Birmingham. The inscription on the front of the medal itself refers to the League Cup as the Coca-Cola Cup. Soft-drink giant Coca-Cola were the sponsors of the League Cup between 1992 and 1998. The reverse side of the medal bears the inscription: ‘WINNERS 1997’.

The back of the medal.

This was the second time the Foxes had been League Cup winners, 33 years after they had defeated Stoke City in the two-legged final of 1964.

This time, the beaten opponents were Premier League side Middlesbrough, captained by Nigel Pearson. Their star players were the Brazil international Juninho, who had run rings round Leicester in a recent Premier League game at Filbert Street, his compatriot Emerson, and the Italy international Fabrizio Ravanelli, who had made his reputation by winning five trophies with Juventus.

The replay at Hillsborough very nearly did not happen. Three minutes from the end of extra-time at Wembley, Leicester were losing 1-0 to a 95th-minute Ravanelli goal. However, in the 117th minute, Steve Walsh nodded a Mark Robins cross back across goal for Emile Heskey, who headed against the bar before stabbing home the loose ball for a last-gasp equaliser. Leicester lived to fight another day.

And so the scene was set for a replay at Hillsborough, 10 days later. As had been the case at Wembley, Leicester’s Sweden international full-back Pontus Kåmark, who had only just come back following nearly two years out with injury, once again man-marked Juninho out of the game.

The first of two League Cup winners medals Izzet picked up at City.

The match ebbed and flowed, and it was still goalless at full-time. During extra-time, it was anyone’s game with both sides going close. Finally, after 99 minutes, the deadlock was broken.

A long ball into the area was headed back across goal by Walsh (shades of Wembley!) for Steve Claridge to steer it home, stunning the Middlesbrough fans into silence.

When captain Walsh, who was named Man of the Match, led the team up through the crowd to receive the cup which he then held aloft, a huge cheer went up from the City fans. This was when Muzzy received this medal.

Shortly afterwards, the team did its lap of honour around Hillsborough. The celebrations continued long into the night. It really was a night to remember.

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