Lineker reveals Leicester ignored Hayes recommendation

Emma Hayes

Gary Lineker has revealed that he personally reached out to Leicester City to recommend the appointment of Emma Hayes as manager following the club's relegation from the Premier League in 2023. The legendary former Foxes striker believed the move would have been a masterstroke for both tactical and cultural reasons, potentially making Hayes the first woman to lead a professional men's team in England.

Lineker's bold proposal for the Foxes

Speaking on his podcast, The Rest is Football, Lineker detailed a conversation he had with Leicester City's then-CEO Susan Whelan. Following the club's drop from the Premier League in 2023, the former England star saw an opportunity for the Foxes to lead the way in modern coaching by bringing in Hayes, who was still dominating the Women's Super League with Chelsea at the time.

Lineker explained the rationale behind his recommendation, telling current USWNT boss Hayes directly during the episode: "When Leicester got relegated for the first time, I called Susan Whelan, who was the then CEO of Leicester – who is no longer there, sadly – and I called her to say, 'I think you should go for Emma as the Leicester City coach'. And I was going, 'I think for many reasons. A: obviously, she's clearly a brilliant coach – so it's not like some kind of PR stunt' – although PR-wise, I think it would have been brilliant: the first female manager of a professional men's team in our country. And I think we [Leicester] had the players that you'd have done really well with."

Emma Hayes Brazil vs USA

Ownership resistance blocked the move

Despite Lineker's enthusiastic endorsement, the proposal was allegedly met with hesitation from the club's hierarchy. According to Lineker, Whelan was receptive to the idea personally but acknowledged that the decision-makers at the King Power Stadium were not prepared to take such a revolutionary step in the English game.

Recounting the response he received, Lineker stated: "And she said, 'I think that's a really good idea... but I'm not quite sure the owners are ready to make that step yet.' So, I just wonder if you'd have been interested in that at all – but that is honestly the truth."

Hayes responds to managerial barriers

Hayes reacted gracefully to Lineker's revelation while highlighting the systemic issues that prevent women from breaking into the men's professional game. The 49-year-old coach, who won seven WSL titles at Chelsea, insisted that the conversation needs to shift away from the candidates and toward the employers.

Responding to Lineker, Hayes said: "You know what, I appreciate you saying that, but managers get asked this question – we're the ones who have to sit through that in a press conference. And I always say, 'You're asking the wrong person'. You have to ask those that own football clubs why they don't do those things." She has previously noted the disparity in other fields, stating, "you can find a female pilot, a female doctor, a female lawyer, a female banker, but you can't find a female coach working in the men's game, leading men. It just shows you how much work there is to be done."

Emma Hayes USWNT

Leicester’s decline and Hayes’ U.S. success

While Leicester City have endured a turbulent period since Lineker’s phone call - culminating in a disastrous 2025-26 campaign that saw them relegated to League One - Hayes has enjoyed a stellar start to her tenure with the USWNT. She led the team to Olympic gold in Paris during the summer of 2024 and was honoured as the best coach in the women's game with the inaugural Johan Cruyff Trophy. The Foxes have recently turned to Russell Martin to steady the ship in the third tier, and they must navigate the difficult path of rebuilding from League One.