Leicester have forged successful Aston Villa managers before

The past success Aston Villa have savoured under former Leicester managers represents one of the compelling reasons the club must recruit Nigel Pearson.

Pearson, who has been a free agent since being sacked by the Foxes last summer, is 5/2 second favourite behind David Moyes (2/1) to replace Remi Garde.

In the past, ex-Leicester managers have led the Villans to their both their last trophy and their most consistently high league placings since the mid-late nineties.

Brian Little, recently made a board member, arrived at Villa Park fresh from Filbert Street, with the club at the foot of the Premier League in November 1994.

After keeping them in the division that season, he helmed the second-city side to victory in the League Cup the following campaign, also securing a fourth-place finish in the top-flight.

Little rejuvenated the mid-nineties Villans after arriving from Leicester

By the time Little resigned in February 1998, he’d overhauled an ageing playing staff and guided the club to three top-seven finishes and twice qualified for the UEFA Cup.

More recently, Martin O’Neill – via a highly-decorated stint at Celtic – guided the club to three consecutive top-six finishes between 2007/08 and 2009/10.

The last of those saw him lead the Villans on a concerted push for Champions League qualification, although they eventually fell short.

O’Neill steered Villa to consistently-high league finishes

Pearson’s track record suggests he has the tools necessary to continue the profitable process of procuring former Leicester managers.

In successive seasons at the King Power Stadium, the Nottingham-born boss secured the Championship title and Premier League survival.

His previous spell at the Foxes helm had seen him take a side relegated from the second tier, getting them promoted from League One and into the Championship play-offs in consecutive campaigns.

Moyes and Pearson lead the next Aston Villa manager betting, from caretaker Eric Black (9/1), Mick McCarthy, Garry Monk and Sean Dyche (10/1), then Steve Bruce and Ryan Giggs (12/1).