A managerial change at Leicester City could provide an opportunity for defender Harry Souttar to stay at the newly-promoted Premier League club, according to Socceroos coach Graham Arnold.
Souttar’s playing time at the Foxes was limited to just 188 minutes across four appearances last season, largely due to being sidelined by Enzo Maresca, who has since joined Chelsea. Despite attempting a move in January, Souttar remained with Leicester but did not feature in the latter part of their successful promotion campaign from the English Championship.
Throughout this period, Arnold consistently included Souttar, a key defensive player and potential future captain, in his starting line-ups, while emphasizing the need for him to secure more club minutes.
With a contract running until the end of the 2027-2028 season, Souttar was considering a move away from Leicester if Maresca remained. However, the managerial change has complicated his future plans.
Arnold acknowledged the uncertainty brought by the new manager, stating that Souttar could either leave or strive to impress the new leadership.
“I’ve already had a good conversation with him,” Arnold said ahead of Thursday’s World Cup qualifier against Bangladesh in Dhaka. “If the manager had stayed, his decision might have been clearer. But with a new manager, the situation could change entirely.
“Harry looks great here and we hope he puts in a strong performance tomorrow or next Tuesday (against Palestine) and continues to promote himself. However, I told him that once he returns to the UK after this camp, he needs to resolve his club career. After his ACL injury and this year, he’s had two big years out of football with minimal play.
“This is a crucial time in his career, especially in his mid-20s, for gaining experience, maturing, and building strength to sustain a long career into his 30s. The upcoming year is very important for Harry.”
Arnold also faces the challenge of selecting from four capable centre-backs. Cameron Burgess is set to join the Premier League with Ipswich Town, Alessandro Circati recently secured Serie A promotion with Parma, and Hearts defender Kye Rowles has been a reliable presence.
“We might consider changing the system to accommodate them on the pitch, but for these two games, all four will start at some point,” Arnold said. “So, we’ll have two and two in each game, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they perform.”
