LEE PELTIER has left Town for Leicester City – with the good wishes of Lee Clark and to the delight of Derek Fazackerley.
Town chief Clark’s former first-team coach is now right-hand man to Sven-Goran Eriksson at the ambitious Championship club, who handed Peltier a three-year contract after the Galpharm club accepted a fee which is claimed by sources to be a £1m-plus package but which neither club has disclosed.
Fazackerley was instrumental in initiating Leicester’s chase for the versatile 24-year-old Liverpool product, who played 103 times for Town, primarily at right-back, and scored three goals after moving from Yeovil two years ago.
“He’s a talented player who I know well from my time at Huddersfield and at 24, there is room for more improvement still,” said Fazackerley, who left for Leicester last October.
“We had problems fielding a consistent back four last season, and with little chance of bringing back Kyle Naughton, who we had on loan from Tottenham, right-back was a position we were keen to fill quickly.
“Lee Peltier was identified as a target early on, and we’re delighted to have brought a very good player and a great athlete to the club.”
Clark, who has signed right-back Calum Woods from Dunfermline last month and can also all on academy product Jack Hunt in League I next season, said: “Lee has been fantastic for me and I think he is a Premier League footballer in the making.
“When players perform well opportunities will open up for them and I understand that he wants to play at the highest possible level.
“He will always be welcome back here to watch our progression, and I’m sure he will take up that opportunity.
“I want a strong squad and although Calum Woods wasn’t brought in as a replacement for Lee, we still have two quality players fighting for the right-back slot when you take into account Jack Hunt’s terrific second half to last season. I am happy with what we have in that area.”
Town chairman Dean Hoyle said of a player contracted to 2014: “Lee has been fantastic for us during his time here.
“He has developed and improved and given everything for the team each time he has pulled on the shirt.
“Of course we are disappointed to be losing a player of his quality, but that is the nature of football and Leicester matched our valuation for Lee.
“This move gives Lee the chance to progress his career. I’m sure he will be a great success there and I would like to wish him well.
“And as one player departs, it creates opportunities for others to shine.”
Town chief executive Nigel Clibbens said: “Under the chairmanship of Dean Hoyle, the club’s approach has been to develop our own young players through the academy and also to recruit young players with the potential to improve our squad and play at a higher level.
“This naturally means that some players will be sold from time to time.
“Too often in the past the club has been a forced seller and failed to get the best deal.
“The important factors are firstly that these moves come at a time of the club’s choosing and for the maximum possible value, and then that the squad improves from year to year by recruiting the best players we can.”
Leicester will officially unveil Peltier as their first close-season signing at a Walkers Stadium news conference today.
Meanwhile MK Dons have signed Yeovil’s former Ipswich striker Dean Bowditch on a two-year deal.
