Steve Cooper has vowed to make sure Leicester City rise to the challenge of staying in the Premier League next season after being appointed as their new manager on a three-year deal.
The former Swansea City boss will ensure there is at least one Welsh manager working in the top flight next season, following his dismissal at Nottingham Forest midway through last season and the relegation suffered by Rob Edwards’s Luton Town.
Cooper, 44, had been out of work since leaving Forest in December but has succeeded Enzo Maresca at the King Power Stadium on a contract that runs until 2027.
Maresca left the Foxes after delivering promotion to the Premier League to take over at Chelsea following Mauricio Pochettino’s departure at the end of the season.
Cooper has been biding his time to get back into work following an emotional exit from the City Ground, where he guided Forest back into the top flight for the first time in 23 years and then kept them there.
“I am very proud to be joining a club with a rich history,” he wrote in an open letter to Leicester’s fans. “I congratulate the players and staff on the achievements of their promotion to the Premier League. I know how hard that is.
“Any person who loves football can only look with great respect upon how much this club has achieved in recent years.
“The Premier League title of 2016 and the FA Cup of 2021 have demonstrated what’s possible for a united club. As the new manager, I don’t take that legacy lightly.
“My job will be to build on those achievements and to bring everyone along – players, staff and fans. Great challenges lie ahead but I get the feeling that Leicester thrives in these moments. I know we will be ready.”
The Leicester job will not be without its challenges as the Foxes have a possible points deduction hanging over them and may also need to sell players to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.
Cooper’s reign will begin with a home game against Tottenham, who were also the opponents for his final game in charge of Forest. He will return to the City Ground in May.
Former Chelsea and Brighton boss Graham Potter and West Brom’s Carlos Corberan were also understood to have been considered for the role, but Cooper won the race.
Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said: “We are delighted to welcome Steve to Leicester City. His vision for the team, including his ability to develop players and implement a dynamic style of play, is very much aligned with our aspirations for the club.
“As a leader, he has the ability to build on the strong relationship that has been forged between our fans and our team, strengthening a bond that will be vital to us re-establishing the club in the Premier League.”
Born in Pontypridd, Cooper followed a playing career in Wales by becoming one of the youngest coaches to achieve the UEFA Pro Licence, aged 27, while coaching with Wrexham.
He left his role as head of youth development at Wrexham to join Liverpool as an academy coach in September 2008 and was later named academy manager, coaching the club’s Under-18s during the 2012/13 campaign.
In October 2014, he took charge of England’s Under-16s team before his appointment as Under-17s manager the following year.
He led his side to the final of the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in May 2017 before they were crowned FIFA Under-17 World Cup winners five months later.
Cooper joined Swansea as head coach in June 2019 and finished sixth in his first season in charge, with the Swans beaten over two legs by Brentford in the play-off semi-final.
He then secured a fourth-place standing the following campaign, and guided his side to the play-off final, where they were beaten by Brentford at Wembley.
After his departure in July 2021, he was named Nottingham Forest manager in September of the same year.
He remarkably led the City Ground outfit from the bottom of the Championship to a fourth-place finish in his first season in charge, which culminated in promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs.
He ensured Forest’s top-flight status the following year before leaving the club in December 2023.
