Craig Shakespeare has admitted to feeling cast as the 'pantomime villain’ when stepping into Claudio Ranieri’s sizeable shoes, but the prospect of Leicester's crowd showering him with boos is remote.
Those at the King Power Stadium know the caretaker manager has been integral to the club’s success, a first-team coach for eight of the last nine years.
But to the wider world his name does not resonate particularly strongly. Monday night’s game against Liverpool offers the opportunity for that to change and amid all the recriminations over Ranieri’s sacking and lack of a clear successor in place, Shakespeare can stake a genuine claim for the role.