Two Major Trophies & European History – Albrighton's Magical Foxes Career
During the Tamworth-born winger's seven years at King Power Stadium, the Foxes have lifted the Premier League and the Emirates FA Cup, while also tackling the game's elite in both the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.
To celebrate Albrighton's new deal on Filbert Way, LCFC.com remembers some of his Leicester highlights, starting with his first year at the Club...
The Great Escape
Marc's debut season at King Power Stadium looked destined to end in frustration in 2014/15 as Nigel Pearson's men battled relegation. In fact, by the start of April, the Foxes were rooted to the bottom of the Premier League – a place they'd also occupied on Christmas Day.
However, there was a feeling around the Club that Leicester had deserved better. Performances were gradually improving and, ultimately, they would avert the drop by winning seven of their last nine fixtures – with Albrighton playing a pivotal role.
A change of system, to 3-5-2, allowed Albrighton to function as a right-sided wing-back for City and led to him opening his account against champions elect Chelsea in late April. His goal on the final day, in a 5-1 victory over relegated Queens Park Rangers, on the other hand, typified Marc's emergence.
Stunning the world
Albrighton began the 2015/16 campaign as he finished the last – with a goal. On a memorable sun-drenched afternoon, Marc found the net in a 4-2 opening day success over Sunderland, which would become the first act of a magical season for Claudio Ranieri's side.
City's No.11 would go on to feature in all 38 of the Club's Premier League fixtures that year, writing his name into Foxes folklore forever. Whether it was wins over Chelsea, Manchester City or Liverpool, Albrighton was there, providing an essential work-ethic and creative flair to City's line-up.
The season would end in glory as Leicester defied pre-season odds of 5,000/1 to lift the Premier League trophy for the first time in their history.
History on the continent
City's reward for winning the English title was a maiden appearance in the UEFA Champions League – the most prestigious club tournament in the world. Ranieri's men were pitted against Club Brugge, Copenhagen and FC Porto in the group stage of their first-ever campaign in the competition.
In September, the Foxes headed to Belgium to tackle Brugge on their Champions League debut and Albrighton wrote his name into the history books by getting on the end of Luis Hernández's long-throw to bundle the ball into the net and become Leicester's first goalscorer on that illustrious stage.
Leicester would go on to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League, after winning Group G and overcoming Sevilla in the Round of 16 (with Albrighton scoring), before narrowly missing out on a semi-final tie against European powerhouses Real Madrid with a last-eight defeat by Atlético Madrid.
A senior figure
Over recent season's Albrighton's experience has proven key. An ever-reliable figure on the flanks, and with an admirable versatility which enables him to function in defence if required, Marc has been trusted by every single manager to work at King Power Stadium during his Leicester spell.
In December 2018, his importance to the Club was on show again as he found the net in a 2-1 success over Pep Guardiola's Manchester City on Filbert Way.
Later that season, in February 2019, Brendan Rodgers would be installed as the Club's new manager and, unsurprisingly, it didn't take long for the Northern Irishman to recognise the value of City's No.11. To day this, Albrighton is a crucial member of a talented and ambitious squad.
More silverware for the Foxes
Rodgers' tenure at the Club has been one typified by regularly competing with the game's elite at home and abroad and, in May 2021, they were pitted against eventual Champions League winners Chelsea in the final of the Emirates FA Cup.
A trophy which has eluded the Foxes for their entire history, the Blue Army were desperate for success. Although not named in the starting XI, Albrighton would come to play an important role, replacing the injured Jonny Evans midway through the first half.
Fans would have been nervous to lose such an experienced figure so early on at Wembley Stadium, but in Albrighton, Leicester had a supremely suitable replacement. In the end, it would be Youri Tielemans who sealed the triumph, but as he was in 2016, Albrighton was in the thick of things yet again.