Leicester established themselves in the Premiership with four successive top ten finishes. O'Neill was the first manager to win silverware for 26 years, winning the League Cup twice, in 1997 and 2000, and Leicester were runners-up in 1999. This meant qualification for the UEFA Cup in 1997–98 and 2000–01, the club's first qualification for Europe since they played in the 1961–62 European Cup Winners' Cup. O'Neill became a sought-after manager, turning down Leeds United in 1999, but in June 2000 he was lured to Celtic. He is regarded today as one of the most successful managers in the club's history. In April 2000, the club received a record £11 million from Liverpool for striker Emile Heskey.