How close Jimmy Thelin was to beating Gary Rowett to Leicester City job | OneFootball

The Foxes are reportedly close to ending their long-standing managerial search

A fresh update has emerged revealing that Gary Rowett has beaten the likes of former Aberdeen boss, Jimmy Thelin, in the race to become the next man in the Leicester City hotseat.

That is according to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider via X, with the reporter issuing such developments via X on Tuesday night, as the Foxes are set to confirm the appointment of Rowett after a long-standing managerial search, one which has been extremely frustrating for supporters in this part of the East Midlands.

It has almost been one month since Leicester parted company with Marti Cifuentes following their dismal performance and 2-1 defeat to Oxford United at the King Power Stadium on January 24th, and the club's fortunes have only gotten worse under the interim management of Andy King.

Leicester have played four Championship and FA Cup matches since the dismissal of the Spaniard - which came less than 24 hours after the aforementioned defeat to Oxford - and have suffered defeats in each of those encounters, including back-to-back defeats in league and cup to Southampton, over the course of the past week.

The Foxes have also learned of their fate in terms of an eventual points' deduction, as they were docked six points on February 5th by the EFL due to alleged PSR breaches.

This predicament, coupled with a dire run of form - as Leicester are without a win in the Championship since January 5th against West Bromwich Albion - has meant that a first relegation to League One since 2009 is a distinct possibility, as the Blues are now inside the second tier relegation zone by two points, sitting on a total of 32 points from as many games played.

As such, the initial task for Rowett, who is set to be confirmed as manager on a short-term basis, is simple, and that is to keep his former club in the Championship.

However, it appears as though the 51-year-old may not have been the standout candidate in King Power's managerial search, despite being heavily linked with the vacancy throughout the process.

Gary Rowett has beaten former Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin to Leicester City managerial role

Whilst confirmation of Rowett's pending appointment still awaits, it was reported by John Percy of the Telegraph on Monday that the former Birmingham City boss was in advanced talks with Leicester over the possibility of becoming manager at least until the end of the campaign.

Such news comes after the former left-back emerged as one of the club's first potential candidates alongside Hearts boss, Derek McInnes, before it was widely reported that Leicester were in a battle with divisional and relegation rivals, Blackburn Rovers, for his services.

Rovers have since confirmed the appointment of Michael O'Neill on a dual basis as he splits commitments at Ewood Park with his aim of taking Northern Ireland to the upcoming FIFA World Cup, as they have an initial play-off semi-final with Italy next month.

As a result, Leicester had seemingly been handed a clear path towards the appointment of Rowett, albeit Leicestershire Live have claimed that the experienced figure may not have been a first-choice option, whilst stating that Cifuentes was also sacked without a clear succession plan in place.

O'Rourke has since reported that Rowett is closing in on taking up the role, although the aforementioned Thelin made it to the final stage of the process and had held talks with the Leicester hierarchy over moving to the King Power.

This comes less than two months after the Swede was dismissed at Pittodrie, where he won 34 of 80 matches in charge whilst also overseeing the Dons' 2025 Scottish Cup triumph over Celtic.

Rowett, of course, has a mixed record at Championship level, having most recently been dismissed by Oxford on December 23rd before the U's moved to appoint Matt Bloomfield.

As a result, news of his expected appointment has split opinions amongst an already divided fanbase, who, to an extent, will also be relieved that clarity is finally being offered on their club's situation.

Rowett will have 14 matches to achieve short-term survival with the Foxes, who are a team currently bereft of confidence and form, which will have to be regained pretty quickly, starting with Saturday's trip to Stoke City.