Former Cardiff City manager Steve Morison has resurfaced in a surprise new role as Leicester City's loans manager, working alongside his old South Wales derby rival Russell Martin. The appointment was quietly revealed in a club video discussing youngster Sammy Braybrooke's loan spell at Chesterfield last season, with no official announcement from Leicester.
Morison's Career Shift
The 42-year-old former striker previously progressed through Cardiff's academy, taking charge of the under-23s before replacing Mick McCarthy as first-team manager in 2021. He steered the Bluebirds away from relegation and oversaw a major squad rebuild that summer, bringing in 17 players and allowing 15 to leave. However, he was dismissed in September 2022 after just 10 games of the new Championship season, a decision that surprised both Morison and many around the club.
Speaking about his departure the following year, Morison said: "I lost my job in tough circumstances – I don't think I warranted it. We were 10 games in, with a new squad. We had a better points-to-game ratio than the club ended up with." He also reflected on the pressure of managing Cardiff, admitting the infamous 4-0 South Wales derby defeat to Swansea caused "absolute carnage".
Working with Russell Martin
That derby defeat remains the only competitive meeting between Morison and Martin as managers, with Swansea producing a devastating display at Cardiff City Stadium. The pair now find themselves working together after Martin was appointed Leicester head coach this summer following the club's relegation from the Premier League. Martin, who also had spells with Southampton and Rangers, has been tasked with leading the Foxes back to the second tier.
Morison's arrival at Leicester comes after an eventful few years following his Cardiff exit. He managed Hornchurch before taking charge of Sutton United, although that spell ended early in the 2025/26 campaign. In 2023, Morison revealed he had held surprise talks over a sensational return to Cardiff after receiving an unexpected phone call from the club. "I was having a bath and my phone went off," he recalled. "I was asked to go to London for a conversation about having my job back. I met Vincent Tan for the first time. It was kind of surreal and I left that meeting thinking there was every chance I might have that job back. Next thing I knew it was in the press everywhere. I was hung out to dry a little bit to see the reaction and it wasn't strong enough in my favour, and they went a different way."
Divisive Figure at Cardiff
Morison remains one of the more divisive figures in Cardiff's recent history. While some supporters appreciated the attacking style he attempted to implement and believed he deserved more time after rebuilding the squad, others never warmed to his approach. Former club captain Sean Morrison was among those to publicly criticise the former manager, branding him a "weak man" over the manner of his departure from the club.
Now, rather than returning to the dugout, Morison has embarked on a different challenge behind the scenes and must work in unison with Martin to get the former Premier League champions back into the second tier of English football.
