MICHAEL Appleton admits he will miss being the main man when he takes up his new role at Leicester City – but believes the move will help him long-term in football.

The former Oxford United manager will soon start work as assistant boss at the Foxes alongside long-term friend Craig Shakespeare.

Some U’s supporters questioned whether relinquishing a top job to become a No 2 was a wise move, but Appleton says he is looking at the bigger picture.

“The one place that is very, very difficult to turn down is the Premier League,” he said.

“You get to work with international players every day.

“The only thing from a No 2 point of view is not having the day-to-day control that I had at Oxford.

“But football is a longevity thing. There are only a lucky few who stay in management for 20, 30 or 40 years.

“You tend to find you have to take a step backwards, sideways – sometimes forwards – but to stay in the game for as long as I want to, you have to take different roles at different times.

“That was why I did my Masters. Somewhere along the line, although I hope it’s not in the next five or ten years, I see myself as a sporting director or even a CEO at a football club.

“You have to always keep your options open.”

And Appleton says being reunited with somebody he has known for half his life makes the move less of a risk.

“The biggest thing is that I have known Craig for 20 years,” he said.

“I went to Grimsby Town from Manchester United as a 20-year-old in the Championship and he was captain there.

“I got to work with him for three or four years at West Bromwich Albion too. He was obviously the big factor in me going.”