In February 1997 he was tracked down by his former boss Martin O'Neill, who paid £850,000 to take him to Premier League club Leicester City for the first time. He was cup-tied for their victory in the 1997 Football League Cup Final. It was in his first spell with the Foxes that he was most successful, playing in over 140 matches under O'Neill. He gained League Cup honours with Leicester City in 2000, having also reached the final in the previous season.