The alumni behind Leicester City’s first-ever FA Cup win

A footballer's legs and boots and a football on grass

Leicester City Football Club lifted the FA Cup trophy on Saturday 15 May 2021. Several alumni are on the staff at the club, including Assistant Manager, Chris Davies.

Chris graduated from Loughborough with a degree in Sport and Exercise Science in 2007. He captained Reading FC’s youth team when he was 16 and was himself coached by now first-team Leicester City manager, Brendan Rodgers.

Davies worked with Rodgers at Swansea City, and joined Leicester as his Assistant Manager in February 2019.

During his university studies, Davies worked as a community coach at Leicester. A promising young footballer, he played for Wales’ youth international team alongside his club, Reading, before ending his playing career due to injury. That hasn’t curbed his career as a coach and more recently as an assistant manager, though, having also spent time with Celtic, Reading, and Liverpool.

He was a key presence as Rodgers’ assistant at Saturday’s game against Chelsea, who Leicester defeated 1-0.

In the Leicester Sports Science team are alumni Matt Reeves and Tom Joel.

Reeves, who has supported a range of student activities at the University in recent years, is the Head of Fitness and Conditioning. His responsibilities include reducing injury occurrence, improving physical preparation, athletic development, and overall performance.

The 2009 Sport and Exercise Science graduate joined the club in 2008 as an intern and quickly became a first team Sports Scientist. Following a stint at Hull City, Reeves returned to the foxes in late 2011 and has been heavily involved in the sports science work at the club. In the last couple of years, he has also been supporting England’s under 19s and under 20s at international camps.

Working alongside him is Tom Joel, a first team Sports Scientist working on on-field and off-field injury prevention strategies, as well as managing, analysing, and monitoring data. He began his journey with Leicester on his placement year in 2011-12. Joel returned following his graduation from Sport and Exercise Science in 2013 as a Sports Scientist for the under 21 squad before moving to the first team in 2014.

Another two former Loughborough students, Gary Silk and Reuben Walker, are in the medical team. They studied Sports Massage and Sports and Remedial Massage, respectively, and now work at the club as Physiotherapist and Masseur.

Many congratulations to Leicester City and alumni involved in their historical win.