Former Leicester City manager Rob Kelly has officially joined Championship side Reading FC as the club’s new first-team assistant manager — a timely development coming just hours after Marti Cifuentes’ Leicester City side let a late lead slip against 10-man Middlesbrough, further intensifying speculation about Brendan Rodgers’ potential return to the King Power Stadium.
The 60-year-old Kelly, who once took charge of Leicester during a turbulent spell in the mid-2000s, arrives in Berkshire to reunite with new Reading boss Leam Richardson, with whom he previously worked at Wigan Athletic. Kelly comes in after a recent spell as assistant manager at Barrow AFC, bringing with him a wealth of experience from over two decades in coaching and management.
Kelly’s managerial journey began back in 2006 when he took the reins at Leicester City. He held the position for 14 months, winning 21 of his 63 matches in charge and earning respect for guiding the club through a transitional period.
Since then, he’s taken on influential roles as an assistant and caretaker manager at several clubs, including Sheffield Wednesday, Preston, Nottingham Forest, and Wigan. His coaching career has also seen him travel across Europe, gaining experience with clubs such as Malmö FF in Sweden, Fortuna Düsseldorf in Germany, and AGF Aarhus in Denmark.
Now stepping into the dugout with Reading, Kelly is tasked with helping Richardson steer the Royals through a challenging season in the Championship. His first outing will be against Stevenage on November 6, with fans hopeful that his know-how will inject the squad with renewed steel and organisation.
Meanwhile, over in the East Midlands, the mood couldn’t be more different. Leicester fans are still reeling after their side threw away a 1-0 lead at home to Middlesbrough, conceding a 96th-minute equaliser — despite Boro being reduced to 10 men. The Foxes’ dramatic collapse has now stretched their dismal run to just one win in their last 10 fixtures, prompting growing unrest among supporters.
With Marti Cifuentes under increasing pressure, the buzz around a sensational return for Brendan Rodgers has again picked up pace. Rodgers, who famously led Leicester to back-to-back top-five Premier League finishes and the 2021 FA Cup, has been a frequent subject of fan chatter and is seen by sections of the fanbase as the only man capable of steadying the sinking ship.
While Rob Kelly moves forward with his new chapter at Reading, Leicester City are staring down the barrel of a potential crisis. Whether a change in the dugout is imminent remains to be seen — but with Cifuentes struggling and pressure mounting, the timing of Kelly’s appointment at Reading only serves as a reminder of the revolving dynamics in England’s second tier.