Dublin tips Leicester for promotion

Last updated : 19 March 2010 By Covsupport news service. RD

As a striker who played for both Coventry City and Leicester City, Dion Dublin, Leicester born and bred, will be an interested spectator on Sunday at The Walkers Stadium.

Dublin became a hero to the Sky Blue fans when he scored for Coventry on his M69 derby debut in a 2-2 draw in November 1994. Then he gave The Foxes a miserable Christmas scoring both goals in a 2-0 win at Filbert Street in December 1996.

The former England striker has tipped Leicester for promotion to the Premiership, claiming The Foxes belong in the Premiership

Ironically, although Dublin was on Leicester's book as a youth, but he wasn't offered an apprenticeship. Dublin said, "They told me I wasn't good enough at the time, so I shipped out. I worked for a year in Leicester doing different jobs, then I got the chance to go to Norwich. Was I the one that got away? You will have to ask the people of Leicester that."

Going on to talk about Sunday's game he said, "It should be a great game, bragging rights are on the line for both teams but three points are ultimately all that matters."

"It's just nice that I am talking about my two old teams contesting a play-off battle, after some of the problems both clubs have had in recent times. Leicester are there or thereabouts and it's in their hands now, and it's down to the players to finish the job."

"They will get it done, I do believe they will go up. They may have to do it the hard way, but it wouldn't be City if that was not the case!  I am a Leicester lad and a City supporter, and it's not good enough to be in the Championship. The club deserve to be in the Premier League and so do the fans."

It took Dublin 20 yearsbefore he finally joinedLeicester, signing on a free transfer from Aston Villa in the summer of 2004.

The youth who wasn't deemed good enough to be offered an apprenticeship had, in the twenty years since he left Leiceter fetched £8.75m in transfer fees, won four caps for England, and was the Premier League golden boot winner  in 1998 along with Chris Sutton and Michael Owen.

Dion Dublin remains Coventry City's top scorer while they were in the either the old Division ! or the Premiership.

Dublin also played for Cambridge, Barnet, Manchester United and Millwall before joining Leicester, where he stayed for two years. Dublin then moves to Celtic and finally  back at Norwich,  He hung his boots up for the final time aged 38, in March, 2008.

Dublin claimed he fulfilled his dream of pulling on a Leicester shirt  and it is one of his biggest achievements. He said, "I always wanted to get back to Leicester at some stage. I only had a couple of seasons in the end. But it was great to walk out for the football club where you were born.That is what people in the city want, one of their own playing for the club."