Leicester’s all-time best XI

Jamie Carragher described Leicester’s Premier League winners as legends – but how many make into the club’s all-time XI?

Leicester have shocked the world of football by going from 5,000/1 outsiders under Claudio Ranieri to title winners, an unthinkable feat in only their second season back in the top flight following promotion in 2014.

But how many of the Premier League champions would make it into a best-ever Leicester line-up? Here we pick our XI…  

Gordon Banks

Kasper Schmeichel has been somewhat of an unsung hero during Leicester’s unlikely title charge this season, but few could argue that 1966 World Cup winner Gordon Banks doesn’t deserve his place between the sticks in Leicester City’s all-time XI.

Signed from Chesterfield for £7,000 in July 1959, Banks was part of the side that reached the 1961 and 1963 FA Cup finals before going on to lose to Tottenham and Manchester United respectively. He would clinch silverware with the Foxes in 1964, though, winning the League Cup 4-3 on aggregate over Stoke City before losing 3-2 to Chelsea the following season.

But it was his exploits for Sir Alf Ramsey’s heroes in 1966 that would etch him in football folklore, not conceding a goal until a 2-1 win over Portugal in the semi-final before lifting the trophy at Wembley.

Four years later, he made the ‘save of the century’, somehow keeping out Pele’s header in the clash with Brazil in Guadalajara, but Banks would miss the 1970 World Cup quarter-final against West Germany due to illness.

Regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, he was named FWA Footballer of the Year in 1972, and was FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year on six occasions.

“Banks was a truly global player, particularly after his World Cup exploits in 1966 and 1970 and the save from Pele,” Leicester City club historian John Hutchinson told Sky Sports.

“He had uncanny positioning; he was extremely agile and had sharp reflexes. 

“The game I will always remember him for is the 1963 FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool at Hillsborough, the players at the time said it was like the Alamo. He was absolutely outstanding.”

Steve Walsh

No-nonsense defender Steve Walsh made 369 appearances for the Foxes during a 14-year spell at Filbert Street, where he scored 53 goals and picked up 13 red cards, a Football League record alongside Roy McDonough.

Born in Preston, Walsh began his career at Wigan Athletic where he won the Football League trophy in 1984/85 before moving to Leicester for £100,000 and was made captain by manager Brian Little six years later.

Often employed as an emergency striker, Walsh went on to score 15 goals, including one in the 1992/93 4-3 play-off final defeat to Swindon Town, but he ensured himself legendary status the following season, scoring twice against local rivals Derby County to clinch promotion the Premier League for the first time.

Injury ruled him out for the majority of the 1994/95 season which saw City suffer relegation, but Martin O’Neill restored ‘Captain Fantastic’ to the side promoted back to the top-flight after Steve Claridge scored the winner in the 120th minute against Crystal Palace in the 1995/96 play-off final.

Walsh was an integral part of the side that would go on to become the most successful in the club’s history, clinching four successive top-10 finishes in the top flight in addition to winning the League Cup in 1997 after setting up Emile Heskey’s equaliser at Wembley and Claridge’s winner in the replay against Middlesbrough.

Walsh also featured in City’s 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon in the 1997 UEFA Cup and was captain when the Foxes suffered a late defeat to Tottenham in the 1999 League Cup.

John Sjoberg

Aberdeen-born John Sjoberg spent 15 seasons at Leicester from 1958 to 1973 and was a key member of the famous ‘Ice Kings’ side of 1962/63.

Under the management of Matt Gilles, Leicester sensationally chased the double but would eventually fall short after losing 3-1 to Manchester United in the FA Cup final and, after winning just one of their final nine league games, their title challenge collapsed as City finished in fourth.

After joining from Scottish amateur side Banks o’Dee in August 1958, Sjoberg made his debut in a 2-1 win over Cardiff City in October 1960 and would go on to make 413 appearances for the Foxes.

Another member of the Leicester side that won the 1963 League Cup, Sjoberg also played in the 1971 Charity Shield final where Second Division champions Leicester defeated FA Cup finalists Liverpool 1-0 thanks to Steve Whitworth’s goal at Filbert Street.

Sjoberg passed away in October 2008 following a short illness.

“Sjoberg played about 400 games for Leicester right through the 60s up until the 70s,” said Hutchinson.

“He started off as a left full-back, but he became a very strong central defender alongside Graham Cross. Cross was exceptional as well, he played 599 games. …

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