Nigel Pearson sealed a spectacular return to Leicester City this week, as the club announced the former Foxes boss as the new first team manager and successor to Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Eighteen months after Pearson’s first spell at the helm of Leicester City came to an end, the former Middlesbrough centre-half returns to a club with whom he shared success.

In his first full season in charge, Nigel led the Foxes to the League One title after the club suffered the lowest point of their history, before guiding the side to the Championship play-offs the following season.

During the months between Pearson’s spells with Leicester City, where he took charge of fellow Championship side Hull City, much has changed on Filbert Way. The arrival of Vichai and Aiyawatt Raksriaksorn brought with it investment into the club, with many of the division’s top players arriving at King Power Stadium during the summer.

Pearson now takes charge of a squad boasting undoubted talent and describes his return to Leicester City as a ‘unique opportunity’, not just for himself, but for his assistants Craig Shakespeare and Steve Walsh who join him from Humberside.

“I’m delighted to be back here,” Pearson told the assembled press at his media unveiling at King Power Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

“I like positive pressure and I don’t feel that the expectations are high enough to interfere with my work. I get a very positive feel from the place. I’ve been here before, but that’s not to say that things will be the way that they were before. The club’s in a different position in terms of ownership. Some of the squad are still here – but there are more players here. It’s a big challenge, but it is one that I am really looking forward to.”

Pearson’s return to Filbert Way will be marked with an opening game in charge at King Power Stadium on Sunday afternoon, where Leicester City take on Crystal Palace. Five places and just three points separate the two sides ahead of the Championship meeting.

“The important thing for me now is that we have a few days preparation for what is a very big game on Sunday and it’s a case of being ‘back in the saddle’. I wasn’t expecting it and I didn’t see it coming; but I’m looking forward to it.”

“I think that Leicester City is a club that I have an affinity with,” Nigel admits.

“I had a very good time here before and I think that there is an awful lot of potential for us to achieve the aspirations that the owners have. The hardest thing in the Championship is to be consistently successful in terms of winning games. I do believe that we have a very good squad here and it’s a unique opportunity for myself and the staff.”

You can watch Soar TV’s full coverage of Nigel Pearson’s press conference by clicking here.