A closer look at which players have profited and which have suffered since the arrival of the manager on a contract at the King Power Stadium until the end of the season
13:12, 23 Mar 2026Updated 13:12, 23 Mar 2026
Luke Thomas has played every minutes in Leicester City’s last six matches(Image: Jess Hornby/Getty Images)
If Gary Rowett’s Leicester City contract is not extended to next season, then he is halfway through his spell in charge of the club.
Rowett has picked up seven points from seven games so far, but will likely need more than that in the next seven fixtures if he is to keep the club in the Championship.
During Rowett’s tenure, several City players have come to prominence while a few others have seen their minutes, or their reputations, suffer. Here, we take a look at the winners and losers under the manager.
Winners
Luke Thomas
When Victor Kristiansen started Rowett’s first game in charge, it looked like Luke Thomas may have to settle for being the back-up left-back. But with the Dane injured in the first half at Stoke, Thomas came in and has played every minute since.
More importantly than that, he’s been solid. A target of fan frustration, and a target for opposition attacks, throughout the season because of moments of weak defending, Thomas has done a stand-up job since Rowett came in.
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There have been far fewer mistakes, and plenty more moments where he’s shut down his winger and limited their impact.
Whether it’s Rowett’s structure, or whether the manager and assistant Callum Davidson, as former full-backs themselves, have instilled some confidence into Thomas, he has looked far more assured in recent weeks.
Oliver Skipp
Skipp has started every game under Rowett and that looks like continuing through the run-in. The manager wants someone with energy to provide cover for City’s defence, and while he’s tweaked formations for home and away games, he’s always kept Skipp in the side.
The midfielder has done pretty well in his performances, getting stuck in and generally making a bigger impact on City’s showings, most notably in the win over Bristol City, when he was star man after several strong interventions and surges up the pitch.
Caleb Okoli
Jamaal Lascelles was always likely to come into the team at Watford, but it was Ben Nelson who made way, despite his existing relationship with Rowett, with Okoli keeping his spot.
The Italian’s occasional struggles in possession do not seem to be as big a problem for Rowett, with the manager focused purely on keeping the ball out of City’s net.
He made the mistake at Boro, but otherwise, he’s marshalled the box and the surrounding area well, winning headers and using his strength.
Harry Winks
It’s not that Winks has started every game since Rowett came in, but there was a possibility that he may not feature much at all.
That’s not because he’d been out in the cold under Marti Cifuentes. He’d already been recalled under Andy King, and Rowett was always likely to give every player a clean slate anyway.
But it’s that Rowett’s teams don’t typically hold onto possession, and so someone like Winks may not have the attributes the manager is looking for.
But he said almost immediately that City’s best form of defence was to keep the ball away from the opposition, recognising Winks as the best man to do that, and so he’s been especially prominent in away games.
Leicester City boss Gary Rowett and midfielder Harry Winks after the Foxes’ win over Bristol City(Image: Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)
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Losers
Jordan Ayew
Ayew has started two of Rowett’s seven matches and come on in four others, but the way he’s being used has not been effective.
With Ayew not posing a goal threat, nor really linking play that much, his reputation among supporters has deteriorated further since the manager’s arrival, and so the boos and jeers are getting even louder.
Joe Aribo
He was thrown straight into the starting line-up by King following his loan switch from Southampton, but has barely featured since Rowett took charge, not making a single start, and playing a combined 12 minutes from the bench over the past five matches.
The physical presence, his hustle and bustle, and his attacking instincts don’t seem to have struck a chord with Rowett, who has been looking at other players, with Jordan James, Divine Mukasa and Bobby De Cordova-Reid preferred in forward-thinking midfield roles.
Jannik Vestergaard
His hernia operation was unfortunate timing as it meant other centre-backs had a chance to get a headstart with the new boss.
While Vestergaard’s experience may see him come straight back into the team when he’s fit after the international break, Rowett has also spoken of how reluctant he is to change his defence when he’s seeking more solid foundations.
Bringing Lascelles in at the weekend saw Rowett change his centre-back partnership for the first time, and the success of the pairing with Okoli may mean he sticks with that for at least a few weeks.
That may stop Vestergaard from featuring, and damage his chances of getting to the World Cup with Denmark, should they qualify through this week’s play-offs.
Bade Aluko
What’s true for Aluko is also true for Louis Page and, to a degree, Jeremy Monga. The desperation of City’s situation has seen Rowett basically overlook all young players, who he feels lack the experience and therefore the know-how of dealing with a relegation battle.
It feels particularly harsh on Aluko, who was one of City’s best players in King’s final game, the FA Cup loss to Southampton, and has arguably earned the right for more opportunities.
But after 18 straight Championship games in the matchday squad, he’s now been totally left out for the last three.
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Which player do you think has not been given a fair chance under Rowett? Click HERE to have your say.