Leicester owners still committed to club - Rudkin

Jon Rudkin (left) has assured Leicester City fans that chairman Khun Top (right) is focussed on turning the club's fortunes around [Shutterstock] Leicester City's owners remain 'very committed' to the League One club, according to chief football officer Jon Rudkin. There has been speculation of a potential change of ownership at the King Power Stadium since the Foxes – Premier League champions a decade ago and FA Cup winners in 2021 – plummeted from the top flight to League One in successive seasons. But Rudkin told BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast that chairman Aiyawatt 'Top' Srivaddhanapraba, who has been in charge for the past eight years, is focused on overseeing a revival of the club's fortunes. Speaking prior to the Foxes' 3-1 home defeat against Peterborough, Rudkin said: "I can't make any comment on speculation. All I would say is that Khun Top is very committed here at Leicester City. "We've witnessed that through the summer. He's very keen on the day to day running of the club, the actions we're taking with regard to the improvements we've made, from the learnings we've established. "The ambition is still there. He's very focused, regularly in contact with us and wants to see the club progress and get promoted and see us back playing in the Premier League." Both Top and Rudkin, who has spent almost three decades at Leicester in various roles and was director of football during their historic Premier League title triumph, have been heavily criticised by fans during the club's recent descent. Leicester's 3-1 defeat by Peterborough left the former champions of England 17th in League One [Shutterstock] Since FA Cup-winning boss Brendan Rodgers was dismissed in April 2023, the Foxes have worked their way through another six managers – and the seventh, Russell Martin, is under pressure already just a few months into his reign. Relegated from the Premier League in 2025 for the second time in three years, Leicester went down again last season after being hit with a six-point deduction for breaching EFL financial rules . Rudkin stressed that an immediate return to the Championship remains the target, although Saturday's defeat by Peterborough left Martin's side in 17th place and already six points off the play-off positions. "I have been part of the football leadership for a number of years and witnessed some amazing times and also some disappointing times," he added. "As part of my reflection, I accept my share of the responsibility over that period. "It's my responsibility to ensure we learn from it and that across the footballing structure we have clear accountability. "My focus is very much to get the club back on track and take us back to the heights of the Premier League in the future. But our immediate focus is to get promoted this season. "The fans care about this club and it is natural for me to receive criticism. It is important that we listen, respond to that criticism and act on it." Savage's Posh beat Leicester to pile pressure on Martin Leicester sign ex-Southampton midfielder Smallbone