![\"Jesse](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0_GettyImages-1246837361.jpg\")
<\/p>\nJesse Marsch agreed to take over Brendan Rodgers’ successor in 2023 and has said he was at the King Power Stadium ready to watch from the stands when he turned it down<\/p>\n
Former Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch(Image: Jon Hobley\/MI News\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Former Leeds manager Jesse Marsch has revealed he was hours away from being unveiled as Leicester City boss before turning the club down to take a job with the USA national team that never materialised.<\/p>\n
Marsch, currently preparing to lead hosts Canada into this summer\u2019s World Cup, said he agreed to be Brendan Rodgers\u2019<\/a> successor at the King Power Stadium.<\/p>\n Sacked by relegation rivals Leeds a couple of months earlier, Marsch was targeted by City<\/a> after Rodgers\u2019 departure and was at the King Power Stadium ready to watch their defeat to Bournemouth.<\/p>\n But while he was at the ground, he received a call from US Soccer offering him the chance to take over as the country\u2019s manager.<\/p>\n JOIN US ON FACEBOOK!<\/strong> <\/strong>Latest Leicester City news, analysis and more via our LCFC Facebook page<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n And so he turned down City to take over his home country, only for the job to never come to fruition. At City, Dean Smith was appointed two days later, and was unable to keep the club in the Premier League.<\/p>\n \u201cI was literally being fingerprinted (for a visa) for the job at Leicester and I was ready to take it,\u201d Marsch told Give Me Sport.<\/a> \u201cThen I got the call from US Soccer.<\/p>\n \u201cIt changed the trajectory of my life. I think things happen for a reason, and I’m happy with where I am right now.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a match that day and we were going to go to the stadium together. Everything was agreed upon.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd by the way, the Leicester people are fantastic. I felt terrible. It was the second time that I had pulled the rug out from under a club. It happened with Southampton as well.<\/p>\n \u201cI like that club, I like those people. In another lifetime, Leicester would have been a really cool experience.\u201d<\/p>\n On the USA job, Marsch added: \u201cAll I’d say is that it was made very clear to me by US Soccer that I was going to be the coach, and then it was made very clear to me that I was not.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the time, I was devastated and angry, but now I am thankful and really happy to be where I’m at.\u201d<\/p>\n Marsch has now been in charge of Canada for two years and is preparing for the World Cup, when they will play Qatar, Switzerland, and the winners of next week\u2019s European play-offs between Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Ireland and Italy.<\/p>\n The latest Leicester City headlines sent straight to your phone<\/p>\n Get the latest Leicester City news sent straight to your phone by joining our Foxes WhatsApp community. Just click here<\/a> and select \u2018Join Community\u2019 to get started.<\/strong><\/p>\n No one will be able to see your personal information in the community and you will only receive messages from the LeicestershireLive sports team. We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily with the latest City stories. All you need to participate in this free service is to have WhatsApp on your phone.<\/strong><\/p>\n If for some reason you decide you no longer want to be in our community, you can leave at any time by clicking on the name at the top of your screen and then ‘Exit Group’. It’s as simple as that. You can read our Privacy Notice HERE.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n