Leicester City last night dismissed Martin Allen as manager less than 24 hours after one of the club’s players suffered two cardiac arrests during a Carling Cup tie.

Allen, the former Barnet and Brentford manager who joined from Milton Keynes Dons with a reputation for passion and eccentricity, was only appointed at the end of May on a three-year contract but rumours soon surfaced of fallouts with some of the players and Milan Mandaric, the chairman.