Micky Adams believes Matt Heath will be a future captain of Leicester City after the central defender on Tuesday signed a new two-year contract with the Foxes.

Adams has released a host of players since 18th-placed Leicester brought down the curtain on life in the Premiership for at least one season.

But he was determined to secure the services of 22-year-old Heath, who showed great promise after breaking into the senior side during the second half of the campaign following a loan spell with Stockport.

Adams said: "Matt Heath is the future of Leicester City Football Club as far as I am concerned.

"We have done it about right with him this year. It was important that we gave the senior professionals a crack at the Premiership at the start of the season.

"We sent him out to Stockport on loan to get some experience and help him to develop physically and mentally as a player.

"It was always my intention to give him a run of games regardless of how the club was going when he returned from that spell.

"He has done that and he has done well. He has got a lot of improving to do but he wants to do it here.

"He has been offered a good contract over two years and I am delighted that he has accepted it. He will probably be the future captain of this club. That is how highly I see him."

Adams is still hoping veteran striker Les Ferdinand will be part of his plans for next season.

Ferdinand, 37, finished the club's top scorer with 13 goals from just 21 starts and has just undergone a knee operation which will determine whether he can continue playing.

Adams said: "Les is in Germany at the moment having a series of injections from a specialist that we hope will help his knee.

"The operation went well last week. I have spoken to him this morning and he knows that I want to keep him.

"But he has got to get himself fit first. It is okay agreeing a new contract with him but he has to prove that he will be fit enough to do the year with us."