Leicester City have completely been transformed as a club over the last few years with them now a side expected to be competing at the top end of the Premier League.

However, a decade ago things were very different for the Foxes. They were very much a club that were considered to be a strong Championship outfit and a team that were hoping they could force their way into the Premier League.

There are plenty of important players to have represented Leicester during this period in the club’s history. That it is perhaps easy to have forgotten given the calibre of players they have within their ranks at the moment.

The likes of Sean St Ledger, Neil Danns, Richie Wellens, Anthony Knockaert, Jermaine Beckford and Paul Gallagher were amongst those who played a key role in getting Leicester to become a side that were competing for the top-six just before they won promotion in 2013/14.

Another of those players was Ben Marshall, who arrived at Leicester in the January transfer window midway through the 2011/12 campaign.

The Foxes made the decision to bring him in on a permanent deal from Stoke City after his excellent form for Sheffield Wednesday during a loan spell in the first half of that season.

That had seen Marshall manage to fire home five goals in 22 League One appearances for the Owls.

After taking over for his second spell in charge of Leicester in November 2011, Nigel Pearson decided to bring in three important permanent signings in his first January transfer window. Marshall was one of those alongside Wes Morgan and Danny Drinkwater.

Marshall did not quite manage to have as much of an impact at Leicester as the two other players signed along with him in that window who went on to win the Premier League with the Foxes.

However, he still made an impact and scored three times in his 16 league appearances in the second half of the 2011/12 season.

The 2012/13 campaign would be Marshall’s only ever full season with the Foxes. He managed to play a key part in them reaching the play-offs that campaign with a sixth place finish. That saw him provide five goals in 43 appearances in all competitions.

However, after Leicester missed out on promotion that season losing in the play-off semi-finals to Watford, Marshall left the Foxes to sign for Blackburn Rovers ahead of the 2013/14 campaign.

In the next three seasons, as Leicester managed to get themselves promoted to the Premier League, secure a great escape and then win the Premier League title in 2015/16, Marshall was a key part of Blackburn’s squad in the Championship without helping them reach the top-six.

 

 

However, after scoring 16 times in 140 appearances for Rovers, Marshall left for Wolves in the January transfer window midway through the 2016/17 season. He scored twice in 16 appearances for his new club in the second half of that campaign.

The following year though, Marshall struggled to make an impact with Wolves and he made just nine appearances in all competitions whilst also spending time away on loan at Millwall.

A brief and unsuccessful move to Norwich City followed for the 2018/19 campaign but again he could not make a major impression at Carrow Road in a side that went on to be promoted to the Premier League that season.

Another short term loan spell with Millwall came that term with him making 16 appearances for the Lions.

Marshall is currently playing in non-league football with West Lancashire Division One side Stoneclough at the age of 30.

Considering the early promise he had shown in his career and some of the performances he delivered for Leicester and Blackburn it is sad to see him so far down the ladder.

However, Marshall still knows that he played a key part in Leicester’s story over the last decade or so and that should be a source of pride for him.

There will still be many supporters of the Foxes that can look back fondly on what he brought to the table for them during his spell with the club.